Vol. 3 No. 5 October 1983 FEATURES ELECTRONIC ARTS 10 Trip Hawkin's Dream Come True Dave Long

ADVENTURE GAME CONTEST 12 A Crossword puzzler

COMBAT LEADER 14 Review Floyd Mathews

ARCHON 16 Review David Willis

LODE RUNNER 20 Review John Besnard

TAC 22 Review Dick Richards

PARIS IN DANGER 28 Strategies and Rule Modifications Floyd Mathews

BOARDGAMER MEETS COMPUTER 32 Jay Selover

COSMIC BALANCE II 34 Review James A. McPherson

DELTA SQUADRON 37 James A. McPherson

Departments Inside the Industry 3 Hobby and Industry News 4 Taking a Peek 5 Scorpion's Tale (Zork III) 24 Name of the Game 25 Tele-Gaming 36 Dispatches 38 The Learning Game 40 Silicon Cerebrum / 42 Atari Arena 43 Commodore Key 44 Reader Input Device 51 Game Ratings 52 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 gamers 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 6% sales tax. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. INSIDE THE INDUSTRY by Dana Lombardy

Last issue, we surveyed the readers playing these other types of 2. Role-Playing Games (such as of CGW on how you buy software games, as well as computer Dungeons & Dragons, Traveller and on what types of software you games. etc.) spend your money. The results of Which statement most closely 3. Wargames (such as Squad Leader, that survey will be reported in this reflects your experience as a com- Ogre, Ace of Aces, etc.) column next issue. puter gamer? Here's your chance to 4. Miniatures Wargames (using This time, we'd like to find out tell us the types of games, other than micro-tanks, 15mm, 25mm, or what other types of games you've computer, that you have played or other scale model soldiers) played — or are now playing — are currently playing. Please answer Abstract Strategy Games (such as besides the home-computer type. the questions below, using the 5. chess, go, backgammon, Pente Most of you are probably familiar Reader Input Device at the back of with role-playing games and this issue. Trivial Pursuit, etc.) wargames; not the ones you see on 6. Coin-operated Arcade Games your monitor, the ones that are Part I (Question 1) (such as Pac Man, Frogger, etc.) played on boards or with miniatures. Many of the manufacturers of such Mark the one statement below (A, Part III (Questions 7 games are very sensitive to what they B, C, or D) that best describes your through 11) believe are "lost" gamers — you who gaming background. If you checked either statement "C" now play computer games. There A. I didn't play any other games or "D" in Part I above, check one or are, of course, some opposing views regularly (at least 3 to 4 times a more of the types of games below that on this subject. The opinions most month) before I got into computer you played regularly before you got often expressed are: games, and I still don't play into computer games. anything except computer games. 7. Role-Playing Games 1. A large number of people who B. I didn't play any other types of 8. Wargames had played role-games and games regularly before I got into wargames got into computer computer games, but now I play 9. Miniatures Wargames games and then stopped buying other types of games fairly 10. Abstract Strategy Games regularly (as well as computer and playing non-computer 11. Coin-operated Arcade Games games. games). Thanks for taking the time to tell C. I played other types of games 2. The above statement is only par- us about your gaming interests. The regularly, and still play these tially true. Some computer results of this mini-survey will be other games regularly, as well as gamers still play other types of published in a future column. games, as well as computer play computer games. games. D. I used to play other types of 3. Statement number 1 above is on- games regularly, but now I play ly temporarily true. Computer only computer games regularly. gamers stopped playing other types of games for a while but Part II (Questions 2 now play these other games in the back of through 6) Use R.I.D. again, as well as computer this issue to respond to games. If you checked either statement "B" questions on this page. 4. A number of computer garners or "C" in Part I above, check one or never played other types of more of the types of games below that games a lot before they got into you now play regularly (other than computer gaming. Computer computer games). If you checked games, in fact, have gotten them either statement "C" or "D" above, interested in and involved in please go to Part III below. HOBBY & INDUSTRY NEWS

Michael Berlyn, Project Manager at Infocom, TI 99144 and certain other home computers. The school and home use. MSA acquired all of the reports that all seven Infocom products are now game will be available September 15 and sell outstanding stock of Edu-Ware in exchange for a compatible with 13 different microcomputers. for $39.95. combination of MSA stock and cash of approximate- Following is an up-to-date list of available formats: ly $1,500,000 and some deferred payments based on APPLE II; ATARI; COMMODORE 64; CP/M; DEC The AIRPORT Air Traffic Controller game is now future revenues and profits of Edu-Ware. RT-11; DEC RAINBOW; IBM PC; NEC PC-8000; available from the Software Toolworks in a version NEC APC; TRS-80 MOD I; TRS-80 MOD III; TI configurable for most CP/M computer systems. AIR- TG SOFTWARE has been announced as a new PROFESSIONAL; and the OSBORNE 1. PORT can be configured for most 80 column, 24 line division of TG Products to develop and market displays with cursor addressing, and uses character programs for Atari-compatible computers. The Infocom, Inc., has also announced the fall release graphics if available. It comes in 8" CP/M format, parent company, TG Products, has been manufac- of INFIDEL, the first game in the new Infocom Tales and 5 " formats for DEC, Kaypro, Osborne (80 line turing joysticks, trackballs and game paddles for of Adventure Series. Set in the vast Egyptian desert or Executive), Xerox, and Heath/Zenith computers. personal computers for three years. TG Software somewhere near the banks of the Nile River, Suggested price is $19.95 and may also be gotten released four games at the Summer Consumer INFIDEL challenges you to find the buried entrance from The Software Toolworks, 15233 Ventura Blvd., Electronics Show on cartridge for the Atari 400/8001 to the last great pyramid and, once inside, seize Suite 1118, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403. 1200XL computers. the games include DROIDS, priceless treasures that have remained hidden for NIGHTSTRIKE, OZZY'S ORCHARD and ABRA- thousands of years. Activision, Inc. has announced the release of two CADABRA and will sell for $44.95. It is the second prose adventure written for of its best selling games for the ATARI line of home Infocom by Michael Berlyn, author of Suspended. computers. RIVER RAID and KABOOM!, both of Insoft has LOWERED PRICES on its Apple Berlyn says the Tales of Adventure genre offers which have sold more than one million units in their Arcade game series. The suggested retail price of players a modern-day journey into the chronicles of original designs for the Atari 2600, will be available Grapple, Spider Raid and ZARGS— all written in history. "A tremendous amount of research went at retail in October and will carry a retail price GraFORTH—is now only $19.95. into this product," Berlyn says, adding, "We have of $34.95. incorporated detail that presents players with an in- Thom Keith, Director of International Network credibly realistic environment." Berlyn was assisted Commodore International Limited announced Affairs, THE GAMES NETWORK, INC., that agree- on the, project by Patricia Fogleman, a graduate record revenues, net income and earnings per share ment has been reached in principle with W. H. student at Harvard University who was especially for the fourth quarter and year ended June 30, 1983. SMITH & SON, LTD., a London-based publisher/ involved with the research on pyramids. Mr. Irving Gould, Chairman of the Board of Com- retail chain/news distributor, that W. H. Smith will modore, in commenting upon the record results be the exclusive distributor of The Games Network REACH FOR THE STARS, from Strategic Studies noted that "the past year's growth at Commodore technology and programming to CATV systems Group Pty. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia, has announced was attributable to continuing and acceleration throughout the United Kingdom. that the C-64 version of their game will be available strength in Commodore's complete microcomputer by the end of September and will sell for $AUS45, line, including extremely strong demand for the Synapse Software, the first company to introduce or approximately $US40. C-64 personal computer." successfully three-dimensional graphics to home computer games, staged a real-life dramatization of THORN EMI Video will release COMPUTER MSA (Management Science America, Inc.) an- its BLUE MAX World War I aerial combat game at WAR, a home computer game based on the movie, nounced the acquisition of EDU-WARE SERVICES, a press premiere on Wednesday, August 24 at "WAR GAMES". COMPUTER WAR will be com- INC. of Agoura Hills, CA. Edu-Ware is a leading patible with the Atari 400/800/1200; the Vic-20; the supplier of educational microcomputer software for Continued on p. 12 In addition to games mentioned elsewhere are almost preschool in terms of difficulty cassette and disk in the same box. Also in this issue, the following products have been but levels 3-5 (which include 'people holes' available for the Radio Shack Color Com- received by CGW. Some of these products will that must be jumped over) are a good deal puter, Apple, and C-64. $29.95. receive more detailed attention in future more challenging. In concept the game is a issues. Readers wishing to review any of these bit like the Atari VCS game KA-BOOM. O'RILEY'S MINE: Your task is to mine for However, TROMPERS goes beyond Ka- games should contact CGW. gold, rubies, diamonds, etc. as you attempt Boom. Apple. $29.95. to stay ahead of rising waters and river monsters. Your task involves not only Broderbund Software staying ahead of danger but digging paths Avalon Hill Game Co. (Microcomputer Games) 1938 Fourth St. that do not take you into further danger. 4517 Harford Rd. San Rafael, CA 94901 Baltimore, MD 21214 Often tunnels previously dug fill up with water, therefore you should dig tunnels in OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Broderbund's S.C.I.M.M.A.R.S.: Game of "gladiatorial such a way that the need to cross previously first wargame. OW is a strategy game dug shafts is minimized. Atari. $29.95. armored combat in the far future" using (tactical level) for the Atari based on WWII. small armored ground cars. One could call As Battalion Commander you order your ZAXXON: The Apple version of the popular this a high speed version of "Battlezone". companies, platoons, and batteries in an Nine levels of difficulty. Higher levels arcade game. When used in conjunction assault on an enemy town. Graphics are with the MOCKINGBOARD is compares increase enemy armor and/or decrease your reminiscent of Eastern Front (EF) but move- armor. Apple II. $26.00. very favorably with the Atari 400/800 ver- ment/combat is different. In EF you issue sion (also by Datasoft). $39.95. orders to all units then the units move PARTHIAN KINGS: Strategy game with a simultaneously during an execution phase. fantasy setting. Terrain and units are de- In OW you move each unit individually. The signed by the players. lip to four can play phases are Command, Movement, Combat, (the computer can play up to three posi- Assault Order, Assault. The game can be tions). Multiple play options good graphics saved. Handsome Battle Map poster in- and artificial intelligence make this an enjoy- cluded in the slick SSI sized package. Look able game that will be played over and over. for upcoming review. $39.95. Apple II. $25.00. Datasoft 9421 Winnetka Ave. Avant-Garde Creations Chatsworth, CA 91311 P.0 Box 30160 Eugene, OR 97403 MOON SHUTTLE: Nice graphics are featured in this "space invaders" type TROMPERS: A whimsical arcade game in arcade game. Each "wave" of descending which you, in control of the local dog aliens is preceded by an asteroid sequence catcher, try to catch TROMPERS (little in which the ship must blast it's way through bouncing space critters). The first two levels an asteroid belt. The Atari version includes Dataworks plane starts on the Operational map some- charge of janitorial work, are thrust into P.O. Box 236 where between the enemy and the target city adventure when you are shipwrecked on a Deep River, CT 06417 of the Japanese bombers. Once close enough doomed and plague-stricken planet. A mis- to the enemy you enter a tactical mode in chievous robot named Floyd (you'll grow to TANK PLATOON!: A tactical wargame in which you fight a hi-res arcade style love him) assists you in your attempt to save which each player chooses and controls ten plane-to-plane dogfight. Review coming. Apple II. the planet. Available for many machines. units (tanks, personnel carriers, infantry, $49.95 (some versions $59.95). leaders). Players see the battle from the view- LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE: A TRS-80 point of the unit currently being ordered. In game of "real time animated action" WWI addition to the hi-res views available to each air combat. You choose your plane from the unit, the leader can look at a low-res map. 24 types available (French, English, Ger- Apple II. $29.95. man). Missions include Offensive Patrol, Defensive Patrol, Long Range Patrol, Bomb- Discovery Games ing Mission, Balloon Busting, and Training 936 W. Highway 36 Flight. Review coming. WITNESS: An interactive personal com- St. Paul, MN 55113 puter game whose situations, personalities, settings, and packaging reflect the classic FLYING TIGERS: An interesting looking Infocom, Inc. whodunits of the 1930's. As with all Infocom game of air combat in which you can fly any 55 Wheeler St. games, numerous game playing aids are of eighteen Allied fighter types against the Cambridge, MA 02138 included (such as The "Nat'l Detective fighters and bombers of the Japanese Empire Gazette", a copy of a newspaper from the (1937-1942). In Operational Mode you see a PLANETFALL: An interactive space com- time of the murder, suicide note, etc.). "side view" that covers several miles. Your edy game. You, as Ensign 7th Class in Multiple systems. $49.95 (some $59.95).

Jay Gee Programming Company "Son of Spy's Demise". You must find nine types are provided but the program allows 7185 Blue Hill Dr. clues scattered on five floors (well, five floors you to construct any airship you wish. The San Jose, CA 95129 is all your intelligence report reveals). The scenarios, mini-games and campaign game secret? Don't be seen. Apple and Atari. provide the gamut of situations a WWI pilot DEVIL'S DARE: A computerized board $19.95. might find himself in. Review coming. game in which players race against time to Apple and Atari. $39.95. Sierra On-Line Inc. get five tokens in a row before the computer Sierra On-Line Building does. It can be played by one to four players. GEOPOLITIQUE 1990: A solitaire game in Coarsegold, CA 93614 Twelve board sizes and three skill levels. which you play the roll of the President in Difficult to play if you do not have the GTIA the 1990's. You are in a power struggle with SAMMY LIGHTFOOT: You control Sam- chip. Atari. $19.95. the Soviet Union (played by the computer). my, a circus performer whose hair (or is it In the "peaceful" phase (GEOPOL) you a wig) flys around when he falls. You must produce goods which are offered to minor jump over objects, hang onto ropes, use Penguin Software countries in exchange for alliances, agree- trampolines, and ride elevators in your 830 4th Ave. ments, and concessions. In the military climb to stardom. Apple. Geneva, IL 60134 phase (GEOWAR) you conduct conventional warfare. Apple. $39.95. MINIT MAN: An arcade game in which Strategic Simulations you perform several functions all leading 883 Stierlin Rd. Bld. A-200 RINGSIDE SEAT: A game of champion- to the launching of your missiles against Mountain View, CA 94043 ship boxing. A hi-res semi-animated screen invading robots. Three screens are required brings to life boxing matchups between great fighters of the 20th century. You to display the minit man launch facilities. BROADSIDES: A detailed simulation of manage the fighters, giving them between- You must repair the bridge (so the train can fighting sail. You can play it on an arcade round instructions. Review coming. Apple bring the missiles to the site), stop infil- level, which is easy and quick or you can opt and C-64. $39.95. trating robots, and set the launch computer. for the tactical game in which you make Apple. $19.95. detailed decisions such as type of shot. The boarding action sequence is nearly a sep- Lor Inc. arate game by itself. Only one ship per side Rt. 2, Box 185 (multi-ship game coming from SSI in the THE QUEST: A graphic adventure game in Rigby, ID 83442 which you kill a vengeful dragon. 200 loca- future). Ships can be constructed (statistics tions, full sentence parser. There are many for a number of Napoleonic Era ships are OPHIR: In this cartridge arcade game, you, ways to arrive at the solution in this adven- included in the rule book). Review coming. Apple. $39.95. as Ophir, must free jewels from a series of ture thus it can be played several times, each ten progressively more complex spider time taking a different path to the solution. EAGLES: Aerial combat in WWI. One to ten webs. To prevent this, and hopefully destroy Two-sided disk. Apple. $19.95. you, are spiders which multiply unless planes per side. An introductory level game destroyed by you when young. Fast moving which, while not as detailed as most SSI and tough to beat. C-64. THE SPY STRIKES BACK: Their subtitle games, is enjoyable to play and gives the is "How to Not Be Seen". Our subtitle is "feel" of WWI air combat. Seventeen plane

Sirius Software 10364 Rockingham Dr. Sacramento, CA 95827

SNAKE BYTE: You must use all of your skill and planning ability to master all 21 rooms of this arcade game. In it, you guide your snake through progressively more cluttered rooms, eating the apples which appear while avoiding the randomly bouncing plums. Beware though, because with each apple eaten, your snake grows longer and moves faster. Apple, C-64, and Vic-20.

The brightest new star on the computer software addition, EA provides a great deal of assistance in the pro- market is almost certainly Electronic Arts of San Mateo, duction of a game, and hopes to be able to bring out the California, a company expecting to have literally hun- fine points of each new product. I'm sure many of us have dreds of titles on the market by the mid 80's. played games that were enjoyable, but which could have Electronic Arts is attempting to jump into the forefront been truly great games with only a little more work. From of the microcomputer software field as an immediate suc- what I've seen of EA's new releases, they must know what cess, much as the goddess Minerva leapt full grown from they're doing in applying these finishing touches. the brain of her father Zeus. This brainchild of 29-year old Secondly, EA wants to make a contribution to the devel- Trip Hawkins has bypassed the "test the waters" stage opment of software technology; to enable each prospec- and made a total commitment to be one of the leaders in tive game designer to understand the machine and its cap- its industry, both in game development and in gaming abilities. Moving a game from one machine to another, systems development. say from the Apple to the IBM, currently requires com- Trip Hawkins graduated with high honors from Har- plete translation of the program which in many cases vir- vard University with a specialization in "Strategy and Ap- tually amounts to starting over from scratch. One of the plied Game Theory" and in 1975 had the stated goal of things which Trip wants to create is a process for making starting a software games company before 1985. After new games in which games are developed on a sort of receiving his MBA from Stanford, he joined Apple Com- master machine, which could then translate them directly puter early in its growth, and left the company in the Spr- into all the other varieties of computer much more effi- ing of 1982 after serving as the Director of Marketing for ciently. Apple's new LISA. One of a number of sharp young Thirdly, they plan to use their unique marketing techni- thinkers who walked away from Apple as millionaires ques to help retailers more easily sell the games. Again, Trip almost immediately began laying the foundations for I'm sure that many of us have looked at the package of a Electronic Arts. new game in frustration, not being able to tell much about EA, says Trip, wants to do three specific things. First, it and unwilling to "buy a pig in a poke." EA's packages they want to find and help develop new talent. One of give a very good idea of what's inside thus encouraging their key concepts in this area is the strong publicity that the consumer to buy. they give to the authors of their games. Each game comes Trip says that one of the strong themes of his company packaged in a heavy cardboard album about 9" x 9". is expressed by philosopher John Dewey's belief in the Each is in full color glossy and gives an introduction to dynamic process of learning. We learn best, according to and a picture of the game creators. EA hopes that treating Dewey and Hawkins, by doing. If you try to acquire new the author of a game as the artist that he or she is will en- ideas and skills while you are an active participant in the courage the growth of talent, and encourage creativity. In learning process, you will learn more, and faster. Further- more, the wider the range of sensory experiences involv- and Axis Assassin. Mack is an arcade game in which you ed, the more meaningful will be the experience. try to complete a construction project while avoiding van- One of the first games produced by EA is M.U.L.E., a dals, OSHA inspectors, and a series of on the job hazards. financial simulation on another planet. This game, I firm- Axis Assassin, and I have no idea where the name came ly believe, could take a key position in the Economics from, is a fast action shoot-'em-up played on a series of class at any high school or college. The only problem geometric shapes and is reminiscent of the arcade game would be in trying to get the students to stop playing! On Tempest. the other hand, a group of elementary school kids could If this first generation of games is any indication of the spend hours playing M.U.L.E. at its easiest level and quality and craftsmanship that Electronic Arts hopes to never even suspect that they'd just acquired an excellent put into all of its releases, then we (the consumers) have background in economics. just acquired a new hero. Trip promised that his company EA wants its games themselves to excel in three ways. does not plan to discriminate according to make, creed, First, the game must be simple. In other words, you or model of computer but will offer releases for all the ma- should be able to get into the game fairly easily, and quick- jor systems (Apple, Atari, IBM, and Commodore). I, for ly, without having to study a 150-page rulebook intensely one, am waiting with baited breath for Archon (soon) and for three days prior to booting up. Second, the game M. U.L.E. (don't hold your breath) for the Apple. Another should be hot, with lots of media action, good sound, good delight in the works on the Hill in San Mateo is a graphics, and should take full advantage of the cap- "dungeons and dragons" type of fantasy game called The abilities of the machine. Third, it must be deep. As you Standing Stones. The maze graphics are very clean and play you should discover more and more — to have the fast, and with a promised September release time, it game grow with you — so that after a month it is not should be ready just in time for my birthday. another dust gatherer on the shelf under your computer. EA enters into contracts with its authors much like a When these folks say they mean business, they aren't recording studio does with its musicians, and encourages kidding. My bet is that this is one company which will them to think of software as an art form. The advantage of rapidly chisel out a very comfortable block of the software the computer in the game world is that it handles all the market, and stay an industry leader for a long time to administrative detail. Instead of having to roll the dice come. Now if they'd only have M.U.L.E. ready on the Ap- repeatedly, the computer decides. Instead of having to at- ple for my birthday . . . 0 tempt to determine whether or not your piece has line of sight to mine, the computer decides. This opens your mind to concentrate on the proper strategy and tactics for winning. To use Trip's example, a 13-year old kid would kill Attila the Hun in a simple round of Dungeons and Dragons, because poor Attila just wouldn't be able to han- dle the mechanics of the game. The first generation of games from EA has six new releases and one translation. Bill Budge, now an Elec- tronic Arts artist, has translated his Pinball Construction Set (see last issue's review) for the Atari. The six new games will all be reviewed separately; including the previously mentioned M.U.L.E., which offers you the op- tion of handicapping one or more players, has superb graphics, and as already stated, is an excellent economic simulation for any level of player. Another new release is Archon, a fantasy board game with fast action arcade combat between opposing pieces occupying the same square. In this battle between the forces of dark and light, the central squares of the board fade from dark to light, with the relative strength of the pieces ebbing and flowing with the change of colors. A third release, Worms?, involves creating brightly colored trails of light which weave intricate patterns and compete for control of the dot matrix on the screen. Their fourth release for the Atari is Murder on the Zinderneuf, a real time murder mystery which could be the great-great-grandson of the old boardgame "Clue." These four are available currently for the Atari, and had me pricing Atari's for two weeks after I saw them. For the Apple, there are currently two releases, Hard Hat Mack, ADVENTURE GAME CONTEST

What is this? Deja Vu? Wasn't this the be mighty, for no one has solved all 23 Box 4566, Anaheim, CA 92803-4566. contest that was run in CGW 3.3? puzzles. So here we are to challenge Entries must be postmarked by Yes. It is true. Just in time for Hal- you again. December 31, 1983. loween, the Adventure Game Contest This time we will give free two year The crossword puzzle was created has risen from the grave (ominous subscriptions to the top three contest- with CROSSWORD MAGIC from L&S organ music in background — bats fly ants. The more complete your puzzle, Computerware. CM runs on the Apple past your face). In CGW 3.3, we threw the better your chance of winning. II and retails for $49.95. L&S Com- down our gage and challenged you to Send your submissions to: Computer puterware, P.O. Box 70738, Sunnyvale, solve the puzzle. The gage proved to Gaming World, Puzzle Contest, P.O. CA 94086.

and 5" formats for DEC, Kaypro, Osborne (80 line INDUSTRY NEWS (Cont.) MSA (Management Science America, Inc.) an- or Executive), Xerox, and Heath/Zenith computers. nounced the acquisition of EDU-WARE SERVICES, Schellville Airport near Sonoma, CA. The event was Suggested price is $19.95 and may also be gotten designed to re-create the "barnstorming" atmo- INC. of Agoura Hills, CA. Edu-Ware is a leading from The Software Toolworks, 15233 Ventura Blvd., supplier of educational microcomputer software for sphere of a 1920's fairground picnic and air show. Suite 1118, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403. The day's highlights included mock dogfights and school and home use. MSA acquired all of the aerobatics by pilots in vintage biplanes, visitor air outstanding stock of Edu-Ware in exchange for a Activision, Inc. has announced the release of two combination of MSA stock and cash of approximate- rides, on-the-ground demonstrations of the Blue of its best selling games for the ATARI line of home Max game and press interviews with Synapse ly $1,500,000 and some deferred payments based on computers. RIVER RAID and KABOOM!, both of future revenues and profits of Edu-Ware.-- executives and the game's author, Bob Polin. which have sold more than one million units in their THORN EMI Video will release COMPUTER original designs for the Atari 2600, will be available TG SOFTWARE has been announced as a new WAR, a home computer game based on the movie, at retail in October and will carry a retail price division of TG Products to develop and market "WAR GAMES". COMPUTER WAR will be com- of $34.95. programs for Atari-compatible computers. The patible with the Atari 400/800/1200; the Vic-20; the Commodore International Limited announced parent company, TG Products, has been manufac- TI 99/44 and certain other home computers. The record revenues, net income and earnings per share turing joysticks, trackballs and game paddles for game will be available September 15 and sell for the fourth quarter and year ended June 30, 1983. personal computers for three years. TG Software for $39.95. Mr. Irving Gould, Chairman of the Board of Com- released four games at the Summer Consumer The AIRPORT Air Traffic Controller game is now modore, in commenting upon the record results Electronics Show on cartridge for the Atari 400/800/ available from the Software Toolworks in a version noted that "the past year's growth at Commodore 1200XL computers. the games include DROIDS, configurable for most CP/M computer systems. AIR- was attributable to continuing and acceleration NIGHTSTRIKE, OZZY'S ORCHARD and ABRA- PORT can be configured for most 80 column, 24 line strength in Commodore's complete microcomputer CADABRA and will sell for $44.95. displays with cursor addressing, and uses character line, including extremely strong demand for the graphics if available. It comes in 8" CP/M format, C-64 personal computer." Continued on p. 46

COMBAT LEADER: Review and Analysis Floyd Mathews

and grey smoke rounds vanishing with the wind. You can also hear the popping of high velocity guns, the NAME: Combat Leader whistle and crash of incoming mor- TYPE: Wargame tar rounds, and the crackle of auto- SYSTEM: Atari 400/800/1200 matic weapons. As many as 118 FORMAT: Diskette moving units may advance simulta- #PLAYERS: 1 neously in real time, with as many as AUTHOR: David Hille 70 additional symbols for smoke and PRICE: $39.95 fire. The overall visual effect is strik- PUBLISHER: Strategic ing, and is comparable to an arcade Simulations game or even a videotape animation. If the computer's mortars start rang- ing in on your position, you may even feel a strong urge to hit the dirt! Combat Leader (CL) is one of the bility, and "robot" subcommanders. The program randomly generates best tactical wargames I have played This game is extremely realistic, a new map for each game, so you to date. CL is David Hill's first game but it is the excellent arcade quality never get bored after mastering all design, and it is excellent. I hope he graphics which first seize your atten- the good ambush spots of a single produces many more in the future. tion. You really have to see it to map. Each new game presents fresh A platoon level game against the appreciate it. A vertically scrolling tactical problems depending on the computer, CL simulates small unit map occupies about three screens lay of the ground. However, if you do tactics of the period from World and represents about two square find an interesting map, you can War II to the present. You can play miles. The green map shows a variety replay it as often as you wish in order the company commander, or you of black terrain symbols with dif- to explore all of its possibilities. can take a platoon and let the com- ferent effects on movement, line of You can modify the random distri- puter or another player command sight, and protective cover. bution of different types of terrain your company. Miniature individual tanks and when generating new maps. If you CL has many positive features, such armored personnel carriers (APC's) want to design an Afrika Korps as superb graphics and sound, the are represented from a bird's eye scenario, simply request lots of clear speed and sophistication of machine view with realistic graphic symbols flat ground, a few depressions, zero language programming, and the abil- which include gun facing. Also, each trees or hills, and . . . presto — in a ity to create an infinite number of two-man buddy team of infantry is microsecond you will see a realistic scenarios with new maps and units. represented by a tiny cross symbol. stretch of the northern Sahara. Do It also has other superb features, The relative scale of the graphic you want to try a contemporary which include real time simultaneous symbols is very accurate. Fulda Gap scenario? No problem. movement and fire, realistic line of You can actually see tiny yellow Simply ask for lots of hills and trees, sight and line of fire restrictions, very muzzle flashes spitting from firing and the program gives you a typical competitive solitaire play and capa- units, red shell bursts in target areas, rolling forest in central Germany. The rulebook is well done and the program is very user friendly. It is very easy to enter the general charac- teristics of the most famous tanks and APC's from World War II to the present. You can also set the char- acteristics of infantry weapons of different periods, such as mortars, anti-tank guns, and so forth. In order to better simulate the "fog of war", it helps to have the computer or a friend set the forces for both sides so you don't know what you're up against. The real time pace of the game is also adjustable. When you are first learning, you should set a slow pace. As you become more adept, you can speed up the pace so the There are similar line of fire re- but I find the mobile defense is the game never becomes tedious. A strictions on direct fire flat traject- most intriguing. You have the ex- typical game lasts about 30 minutes. ory weapons, such as high velocity tremely difficult tactical problem of If you blunder into an ambush, it can guns and automatic weapons. These defending almost 1700 yards of front be a lot shorter. weapons can only shoot at visible with inadequate forces, with the Although this is basically a solitaire targets. But your mortars are indirect scenario bringing out the sneakiest game, you and your friends can team fire long range weapons. You can arc traits of your computer opponent. up against the computer. You can mortar rounds over a hill to blast Once I set up a good defensive line each take a platoon, select someone invisible targets on reverse slopes. holding most of the high ground. The to be the company commander for Therefore, your mortars are probably wily computer feinted in strength your side, and then pass the joystick your best weapon in this game. My toward the left side of my line until around. You should set a slow pace only complaint is that the mortars I committed my armor reserve, and so that you won't wrestle each other appear to be too effective against then it punched through my weak for the stick when the action heats tanks. In reality, I doubt that infantry right side with most of its tanks. up. Be careful though! I have seen carried mortar would have much Another interesting aspect of the games in which insubordinate pla- effect against tanks. program is the use of "robot" sub- toon leaders were threatened with commanders. You can directly com- courtmartial for cowardice in the In addition to building your own mand individual tanks, APC's and face of the enemy. new scenarios, there are six variable infantry squads if you wish. But it is scenarios included with the program. probably better to give general orders Your units always start near the The novice and intermediate scenar- to each of your "robot" platoon bottom or south edge of the map, and ios are simple games for learning the leaders, and let them carry out the the computer's troops start near the game system. In the attack scenario, details of movement. This is one of top. You can see all of your units on your goal is to destroy as many the great innovations of this game: It the screen, but as you scroll north- enemy units as possible. In the objec- is not necessary to tediously plot ward you can only see those enemy tive scenario, the program randomly movement for each of your units! For units which are visible to your troops marks a key terrain feature with an example, you could order one of your under the line of sight rules. Your "X", and both sides must try to seize tank platoons to occupy a wooded computer opponent operates under and hold it. In the mobile defense hilltop 500 yards forward, and then the same limited line of sight restric- scenario, your job is to maintain a watch as the program individually tions. Hence, if an enemy tank is defensive line as far north as possible maneuvers the five tanks toward the behind a hill, in woods or in a depres- for as long as possible, while the objective, carefully selecting the best sion; your forward units may not be computer tries to break through to line of advance, utilizing protective able to see him, and vice versa. Fur- the south. In the recon scenario, you terrain, and covering each other. ther, if a visible enemy tank moves command a small light armor force Firepower is the key factor in this behind a hill, it will immediately and try to infiltrate northward against game. When units come under enemy disappear from the screen. This superior forces in order to spot as fire, they have a very realistic ten- feature can really keep you guessing many enemy units as possible with- dency to slow down, take cover, and about the location of the enemy's out being destroyed. main strength. All the scenarios are interesting, Continued on p. 47 NAME: Archon squares (called delta squares) are constantly changing col- TYPE: Strategy/Arcade or. The other squares remain black or white but, after SYSTEM: Atari 400/ every other move, the delta squares shift towards black, 800/1200XL shift totally to black, then start shifting to white, and back FORMAT: Disk again (or vice versa). As in chess, there are two sides — #PLAYERS: 1-2 black and white (or the Light and the Dark as they prefer to AUTHOR: Westfall, Freeman, & Reiche call them). There are also five squares on the board that PRICE: $40.00 contain "power points". To win, you must capture all five PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts (you start out with one). The other advantages to power San Mateo, CA points are that when you are on one, you heal more quick- ly and cannot be affected by magic. If you like the idea of chess, but always thought it was Each side has a wide array of pieces, as in chess. Unlike too much work to be recreation; and instead of fighting chess, however, few of your pieces are identical to the with bishops, rooks, and pawns, would like to fight with other side's. The pieces, called icons, move from three to things like dragons, wizards, valkyries, manticores, and five spaces (by walking, flying, or teleporting). Walking goblins; then Archon is your game. pieces cannot move through other pieces, even your own; Archon, created by Anne Westfall, Jon Freeman, and whereas a flying or teleporting icon can. The icons are Paul Reiche III, is a highly imaginative game, and very various forms of creatures and humans from mythology well designed. Just how they got the idea for the whole and fairy tales. thing is explained in the program notes (one source of in- When you move an icon onto a square containing an spiration was the holographic chess scene in Star Wars). enemy icon, that square expands to cover the entire They provide a great deal of information on the thinking screen, and the two of you fight for possession of the behind the game as well as humorous biographies on the square. Each icon has different characteristics; lifespan authors. They really want you to feel the personal and ar- (how many hits it can take), speed (how fast the icon may tistic efforts that went into the game, and you do. I felt move), attack strength (how much damage his attack more interested in the game after having learned about does), attack speed (how quickly his attack travels), attack the authors and the background of the project. As for the interval (how long he must wait to make his next attack — game itself .. . you can't just fire machine gun style), and mode of attack It is played on a chess-like board, except that half the (this can be with a sword, with fiery breath, bow and ar- row, etc.) Learning each icon's characteristics is a very is exploding. After he explodes he's got to run like crazy important part of the game, so that you can avoid sending till he's able to attack again. a creature into certain death. Another example: the Golem and Troll. They move very The battles are entirely arcade-style, and require fast slowly and have a slow attack speed with a long attack in- reflexes and quick thinking. The lifespan of each icon is terval but attack with great force. So, when they do hit, it displayed on the screen, and each time it's struck the span hurts. They also have a long lifespan. Another icon, the diminishes. When the lifespan line is gone, the icon is Basilisk (dark side) has a powerful attack force, a short at- dead (well, he knew the job was dangerous when he took tack interval, and a fast attack speed. It sounds ideal till it) and the winner takes possession of the square. Any you look at his lifespan, which is short. He packs a big wounds received by the winning icon will remain, and wallop, but he's gone if he takes one or two hits. can heal over time or by a spell cast by the wizard/ One of the most interesting pieces in the game (and the sorceress. Don't forget, that if you're on a power point, most fun to play) is the Shapeshifter (dark side). He has no you will heal more quickly. Also — and this is crucial — if characteristics until he goes into battle, where he changes you are on a square that is the same color as you (black on into a duplicate of whatever he's fighting. This is a very black, white on white), then your lifespan can be up to handy and powerful trait, but it can be used against him. 50% longer than normal. Not only that, but your enemy's By sending in something weak and stupid, you have just lifespan is reduced if he's on the wrong color. It becomes as much chance of killing off the Shapeshifter as with a important to have your battles on a square that's a powerful piece. It can be very annoying to the Dark side to favorable color to you. If you're able. to surprise an have a nice icon removed by a little Knight. enemy's big nasty monster on a color that's unfavorable There are many strategy options available in this game. to it, you can destroy him a lot more easily than you could You can be conservative and just try to wear down your otherwise. Since wounds carry over to the next battle, you opponent or dash madly into the fray hoping to gain light- could also kill off a strong icon by sending a succession of ning victory. You also have the choice of playing against weaker icons against it and wearing it down. the computer or against another human being. It's def- It is apparent that a great deal of work went into the initely more fun with a human unit. We ended up scream- makeup of each icon. There are subtle differences in their ing and howling during the heat of the battle, hurling in- strength and weaknesses, and in the way they move. For sults and battle cries. These battles were enjoyable even instance, the Unicorn makes a cute little clopping sound when you had little chance of winning a particular skir- when it moves; the Troll has a heavy shuffle, and the fly- mish. It's always worth a try to be a David to a Goliath, ing creatures sound like their wings are beating against and it has worked many times. There is nothing like the the air. Each icon's characteristics combine to make him feeling of walking in with a Knight (the weakest piece) and unique, for example: The Phoenix (a piece on the Light knocking off a Troll (a very large and nasty critter whose side) attacks by exploding into a ball of fire, which lasts mode of attack is to rip boulders out of the ground and about a second. Anyone caught in the flames takes dam- toss them your way). While he's doing that you run age, with the amount of damage depending on how long it around with a little sword trying to nick his knees. Of was exposed to the flame. The Phoenix has a long attack course, if you nick him enough . . . interval (the time it must wait to attack again), so to com- Since you have such an advantage if you're on a favor- pensate they made him invulnerable to damage while he able color, timing is crucial, and you must make your win- p ing thrust all at once, before the colors shift back again. There's no doubt that correct use of spells can deter- Very important to winning is timely use of your spells. mine the outcome. Launching a heavy attack when the The Light side has a Wizard and the Dark side has the colors are shifting in your favor, then casting shift time to Sorceress. These icons can cast spells. They both have the give you more time after they start to shift against you is a same spells to use, but they can cast spells only once per standard move. Sometimes I will make an all-out attack game and each spell they cast decreases their lifespan on the wizard or sorceress to deprive the enemy of their slightly, making them weaker in combat. The spells are: spellcasting ability. Having the only spellcaster can give teleport, imprison, heal, shift time, exchange, summon you an enormous advantage. elemental, and revive. Teleport lets you move any icon of But no matter how smart you are on the strategic board, yours not on a power point to any non-power point square if you fall apart on the tactical arena you will lose. Some on the board. This is a great way to send a powerful people (sore losers — including me) have, at one time or monster into the enemy's rear ranks and create havoc. Im- another, said that the outcome of the game depends too prison prevents an enemy icon from moving till the delta much on the tactical battles and not enough on strategy. I squares turn to its color. This is good for keeping a key found, however, that after playing for a while most people piece out of your way while you launch your offensive for arrive at a level of proficiency that enables them to enjoy the power points. Heal does just that, bringing a wounded the game. One good way to become proficient is to play icon's lifespan back up to full. Shift time reverses the flow the computer. The computer does not play well on the of time. If the delta squares are currently turning black, strategic board (often ignoring moves that could win) but then they start shifting to white after you cast this spell. can be deadly in the arena. It makes those 45 degree angle Exchange: this makes any two icons (not on a power shots very easily and always seems to know exactly where point) trade places. If you're threatened by a powerful to aim. In fact, playing against the computer for your first icon, you can switch him for a wimp from the back ranks. game can be very frustrating indeed and there may seem Summon Elemental: causes an elemental to appear (earth, to be no hope of winning. Have patience, as after a while air, fire, or water) and attack an enemy icon. This is handy you'll see that it tends to play certain pieces the same way for getting rid of or just weakening an annoying enemy every time and gets rather predictable; letting you set it up unit without risking one of your own. Their only draw- for the kill. If you play the computer consistently, you'll back is that once the battle is over, they disappear, win or start to beat it every time. lose. Revive: brings back one dead icon. I use this one every game I play. If the enemy hasn't used his revivespell You'll also find that you develop an expertise with cer- yet, it might be worth your while to kill off his spellcaster tain types of icons, and can play them better than others. just for that reason. For instance, I can't play the Banshee very well and lose many times when I should have had an easy victory. (The computer, by the way, plays the Banshee better than any human I've seen). Conversely, my opponents groan when I attack with the Djinni because they've seen it down many an icon.

I come from a boardgaming background and I don't particularly care for most arcade-type games, but the beauty of this game is that there's a reason for each battle. You want to move into this space? Fight for it! Maybe most players don't need this rationale, but somehow it makes it better for me. Better, at any rate than defending Earth against invading aliens. (What, another invasion? Ho hum .. .) Plus, each piece fights differently, so that it's not just a matter of developing reflexes. After you've learned the game, you don't have to ponder each move for ten minutes — you can just pick a strategy and run with it. It makes for a fast moving game.

In conclusion: this is a very good game, with lots of care put into its development. I recommend it highly and would only hesitate to recommend it to those who love on- ly purely strategic games. If you're turned off by most ar- cade type games because you like to think a little, this hybrid may be for you. I play it frequently and do not find it predictable at all. The people at Electronic Arts are breaking a little new ground here by putting together some old and new ideas in a way worthy of your com- puter, and I hope they continue to manipulate electrons in such a delightful manner. 0

LODE RUNNER John Besnard

NAME: Lode Runner The robots come with a built-in intelligence. It's not too TYPE: Arcade/Strategy terribly sophisticated, and is very predictable. This trait, SYSTEM: Apple II (48K) and the fact that the hero always goes faster than the FORMAT: Disk #PLAYERS: One robots, makes Lode Runner a game that requires more AUTHOR: Doug Smith strategy than most arcade games. Planning which scaf- PRICE: $34.95 folding to vaporize and in which order makes this one of PUBLISHER: Broderbund the few thinking men's arcade games. It might take you a Software good month just to figure out a strategy on each of the 150 San Rafael, CA levels. And if that isn't enough, the game comes with an editor, allowing the user to fabricate his or her own

Is there really room for another game that has scaf- folding and ladders? Well just maybe, but it would have to be really good. After all, we've already learned to use a shovel in APPLE PANIC. We've already defused bombs in CRISIS MOUNTAIN. We've collected a few brews in BEER RUN. And we've avoided wild goats in CANYON CLIMBER. It becomes immediately obvious that pro- grammers love ladders. Doug Smith is no exception. He's got loads of them in his new game LODE RUNNER (LR). There are 150 different sets of scaffolding and ladders with which the user must contend. Although they are all based on the same theme, I couldn't find any two that played the same way. Each one has it's own unique challenges. I was devilishly proud when I finally com- pleted level 123. Now don't get the wrong idea. I didn't get there by completing the first 122 in a row. Doug is games. The photo example shown above was created reasonably civilized. You can play the level of your choice especially for Computer Gaming World. by entering the edit mode. The basic objective of each scenario is to collect all of the gold ingots that the bad guys This is perhaps the easiest game creator I have ever have left lying around. These same bad guys (the Bungel- seen. Use the I, J,K and M keys to move an oversized ings of Choplifter fame) have left a bunch of robot guards flashing cursor around the board. Then, by simply press- around, too. If they so much as touch you . . . well, we all ing any of the keys 0 through 9 an element of the game is know what happens then. All is not completely one-sided, formed. Put in horizontal and vertical ladders, diggable however. Mr. Smith has been kind enough to give us a and non-diggable floors, trap doors, gold ingots, the good weapon: a Laser Pistol. For some reason it's useless on the guy and the bad guys. Save the game on an initialized disk robots, but it does a dandy, if somewhat temporary, job on (there's room for 150 more) and then test it. This data disk the scaffolding. The hero and the robots can fall into the doesn't boot, so it doesn't make much of a gift, but if your holes created by firing the laser pistol. If the robots fall, friends have Lode Runner, challenge them to your crea- they get stuck and the hero can walk on their upstreched tions. Make sure you can win first, though, because they hands to safety. If the hero falls and goes though the scaf- just might want you to prove it can be done. folding completely, he drops to the next lower level. If not, the wall soon reforms on his tender body, revealing yet Make room for the newest ladders and scaffolding another way to commit video suicide. game. And I bet you can't do level 123 on your first try!

20

TAC: Review & Analysis Dick Richards

what makes the edge of the woods difficult to determine. Nonetheless, NAME: Tactical Armor it was often very hard to set my units Command to halt just inside the woods with my TYPE: Wargame gun alone sticking out of the trees. I'd SYSTEM: Apple (others usually find that either I had halted to follow) still in the forest and was unable to FORMAT: Disk see anything, or that I was out in the #PLAYERS: 1 or 2 open for all to see, and destroy. AUTHOR: Ralph Bosson PRICE: $40.00 Movement is directed by means of PUBLISHER: Avalon Hill a "control yoke" on the keyboard. Baltimore, MD Key U directs the unit to move for- ward, H and J direct a left and right turn respectively, and N moves in Tactical Armor Command (TAC) is as a guideline to allow you to know reverse. When the movement phase Avalon Hill's new game of World that the sides are even when you begins, your unit revs its engine and War II Armor/Combined Arms com- want them to be. starts moving. It then moves straight ahead for the full distance possible bat. Each side can control up to eight TAC is played on an 1800 x 2000 unless you order a turn or a shift into units in your choice of five different meter section of the north German reverse. I'm not sure what the U key scenarios. The game includes eight plain, with the map divided into fif- does (orders a forward move) for Ar- major armored fighting vehicles teen sectors. The sectors are labeled mored Fighting Vehicles (AFV's), from each of four nations — the US, A to E along the vertical axis, and 1 to since the unit moves forward on its USSR, Germany, and Great Britain — 3 along the horizontal, with sectors own. This method of movement was as well as infantry squads and field A-3, B-1, D-3, and E-1 containing one of my main complaints about the guns for each nation. woods. The other sectors are devoid game, since it requires fast action to TAC can be played against the of terrain, there apparently being no enter your orders, you aren't sure ex- computer at four varying levels of roads, ravines, hills, rivers, creeks, or actly how far a unit may go and, as I difficulty, or against a human oppo- towns in this particular section of said earlier, the only visible terrain nent. In starting the game, you allo- Germany. The woods left me some- features (woods), have well nigh in- cate a certain number of points per what frustrated, since it is difficult to distinguishable edges. Perhaps I am side, and then select your units by know exactly where the border of the simply too "hex oriented" to ap- "buying" them through the expen- woods lies. The instruction booklet preciate this design, but I found it diture of those points. This effective- points out that units are not shown in frustrating not to be able to give more ly allows handicapping of one side to their correct scale to one another in detailed movement orders. even things out against an inex- conjunction with the size of the perienced opponent, and also serves board, and I suspect this is part of

Right about now, you should be allowed, but if you hang around long getting suspicious. If the game is that enough, something should happen. small, there can't be too many pi izzles. You will have only one chance to do And if there aren't many puzzles, the the right thing, so it's best to save the ones that ARE there must be mean game before going to the beach (read ones. Which just happens to be the a book from Zork I while you wait). case. There are only 7 points to Another interesting spot is the lake accumulate in this game, so that area. Here's where you get to do a should give you an idea of what little swimming. You'd probably you're up against. Oddly enough, rather not, as the waters are pretty obtaining the points isn't hard. In the frigid. Alas, there's nothing to be done first two Zorks, you received points about that, so plunge in! Just be sure for accomplishing difficult tasks or to drop what you're carrying first. gathering treasures. In Zork III,you You can't stay in the water very long, get the points for doing easy things, so make for another shore quickly. not for doing hard ones. As an It's better to visit the western side of example, you get one point for the lake first. This is where you'll find climbing down a cliff and finding a a strange place called "Scenic Vista". chest. That's the easy part. The hard There doesn't seem to be much here, part is getting the chest open, for but everything in this room is quite which no points are awarded. This important. Examine all objects with can make the game very puzzling; care, and don't be afraid to exper- you find that you're picking up points iment. Get physical, if necessary. very quickly, yet you are nowhere When you finally leave here, you near finishing the game. In fact, you should not be empty-handed. might have 5 or 6 points, and still have no idea of what's going on. So, When you re-enter the lake, you'll keep in mind that your current score drop whatever you have with you. ZORK III is only an indication of how you are Don't worry, just dive down to the doing. There is much more to Zork bottom, keeping an eye out for BI than meets the eye. hungry fish. Pay careful attention to the description here, or you'll miss Now let's look at this mysterious something. Since you can stay under land in a bit more detail. You start at for only a limited time, you may need As told by Scorpia the foot of an endless staircase, with to make more than one visit to the the familiar brass lamp nearby. Those lake bottom. Once you're back on the stairs really are endless, so don't surface, swim for the southern shore, waste time trying to climb back up. and head into the cave. Yes, it sure is Instead, take the lamp and begin dark in there, and you don't have any your explorations. You will first come light. However, if you did the right to the four-way junction, with a things at Scenic Vista, you won't sword in a rock. Yes, it's your old need a light source here. Once inside, friend, the Elven sword. Don't bother it will be fairly obvious what to do Welcome back! A chair is waiting trying to pull it from the rock, though, and where to go. for you by the fire, and Fred is pour- because there's no way to do that. After that, you may want to pay a ing out a tall one (Spelunker Beer; Just leave it; in time, the sword will little visit to Shadow Land. It's a only the best for my customers!) Now, come to you. Moving west from the spooky sort of place, and a bit difficult settle in, and I'll tell you a little about junction, you eventually come to the to map. However, this area isn't a ZORK III. cliff mentioned above. Climbing maze, and it can be mapped if you down the handy rope, you come to The first think you'll notice, as you pay careful attention to the des- the ledge with the chest. At this point, wander through this part of the Great criptions. What you're looking for you will find that you can't climb Underground Empire, is that it's not here is a mysterious person in a hood back up the rope while carrying the as extensive as the previous Zorks. and cloak. You must wander around chest. What to do? Well, just be Compared to the others, Zork BI is until he appears. Be aware that he is patient, and remember not to be actually tiny. In fact, if you have a not friendly, so trying to be nice will greedy. You aren't on a treasure hunt good memory, you might not even get you nowhere. On the other hand, this time out. Climbing all the way need to make a map, although having killing him will not help you to win one is always helpful, especially in down the cliff will lead you to the Shadow Land. fabled Flathead Ocean. No swimming Continued on p. 46 more than a game machine"), ad- phics chip on newer models helps vanced features, and low price — all some, but if you're stuck with an qualities unmatched by any of its older one, you're just stuck. "old-fashioned" competitors like the Of the ballyhooed 16 colors, five Atari 800. are black, white and three shades of Obviously, they're not talking gray. Only half are available at any about "our" Commodore. one time as foreground characters. Let's start with something easy: Only one of the 16 — black — makes a price. Anybody who's been looking decent background for most colors. at the ads must surely have noticed The vast majority of other fore- that you can get an Atari 800 for ground/background combinations about the same price as a 64, and the produce unintelligible smears. 400 is much less. The new 600XL and (While the Atari is not immune to 800XL are expected to be in the same this, the 400/800 are not nearly so bad ballpark. An Apple IIe is substantial- as the 64, and the XLs are better still.) ly more expensive but also a far bet- The Atari offers 16 colors in 8 shades ter computer, with better and faster apiece — 16 shades in one GTIA THE NAME OF drives, far better documentation and mode. customer support, and a hundred The 64 has eight sprites; the Atari THE GAME times more peripherals. Not to men- has four "players" and four tion software .. . "missiles." Sprites are wider; player- missiles are taller (the full screen REMEMBER THE PET? height, if you want). Sprites offer the Jon Freeman potential of higher resolution or It's true that you'll probably soon multiple colors; on the other hand, be seeing more software for the 64. they're far clumsier to move and oc- Nobody likes to program on the cupy more memory. THE EMPEROR'S NEW machine, and the company is worse Although obviously more ela- CLOTHES than unhelpful, but the untapped borate than the Apple's, sound on the I really wanted to write about market is prompting a lot of conver- 64 rates no better than a toss-up with something less critical this month, sions. Commodore is notorious for the Atari's. The 64 has more con- but my friends and associates in- whimsically changing their com- trols, but they get in the way as often sisted that somebody had to point out puters, disk drives, and operating as not, and the Atari is much easier to that the emperor has no clothes. systems so that no two will run the use. I'm speaking, of course, of the same software. If they do this to the Collision detection on the 64 is a Commodore 64, which has to be the 64 (and they announced at CES their joke (It will tell you that something most overpraised, deceptively adver- intention to do so without warning ran into something, but if you want tised, and "user-hostile" machine to outside developers or the public), or if to know what, you have to go to a lot appear in years. If you've already got the current rush to the 64 falters, soft- of trouble.) You won't find any infor- one, you may not (yet) realize how ware developers will jump off the mation about reading the joystick thoroughly you've been hornswoggl- bandwagon even faster than they got from BASIC — perhaps deliberately. ed. No one can blame you; it looked on. (The 64 has trouble telling a joystick so good on paper, and the magazines All right, you say; so the command from a random keystroke. have so studiously avoided more company's not the greatest. What If a game you're playing periodically than a hint that the 64 isn't the about the machine itself? crashes, restarts, or does other inex- answer to the prayers of every For starters, the "64K" is largely il- plicable things, this may be why.) would-be computerist in the land. lusory. The ordinary user working in Nor does Commodore's BASIC sup- In recent weeks, publications as BASIC has only about 39K to play port elementary graphics com- prestigious as the New York TIMES with — almost exactly the same as an mands. and the Wall Street JOURNAL have Atari 800 with a BASIC cartridge. printed articles that sound like Com- The textual display is arguably the CAVEAT USER poorest of any computer's. The color modore press releases. After prais- It is in the area of "user- is unappealing; the print is hard on ing the wisdom and foresight (!) of friendliness," in fact , that the 64 sets the eyes; the background looks like Commodore executives and the effi- new lows. The User's Guide that graph paper, and the screen is rife ciency (!!) of the company, the comes with the computer is almost with RF interference. (Don't believe writers, who obviously have no first- totally useless; to do anything of a salesman's claim that it's just the hand knowledge of personal com- consequence requires the Programmer's puters, cited the 64's unique poten- conditions in the store; it always tial as a learning tool ("something looks that bad.) An improved gra- Continued on p. 50

PARIS IN DANGER: Strategies and Rules Modifications

Floyd Mathews

NAME: Paris in Danger TYPE: Wargame SYSTEM: Atari 400/800/1200 FORMAT: Disk #PLAYERS: 2 PRICE: $35.00 PUBLISHER: Avalon Hill Baltimore, MD

PARIS IN DANGER (PD) is both not get any points for destroying stacking them atop each other, but a strategic and a tactical level simula- French units. each must be moved separately. After tion of Napoleon's campaign of 1814 The French victory objective is all movement is plotted, the program in defense of Paris. After the simply to obtain 60 points by destroy- displays simultaneous movement for disastrous 1812 Russian misadven- ing 45,000 Allied soldiers. French all corps one day at a time. ture, Napoleon was thrown on the casualties are not subtracted in deter- If during the movement execution defensive. Numerically superior mining French victory points. phase, opposing corps should enter Allied armies invaded France in 1814 the same square of the strategic map from three different directions. Each game turn on the strategic on the same day, the program im- map represents one week, and the mediately shifts to combat resolution The Allied victory objective is to entire game lasts 25 weeks. If neither on the tactical map. You have the op- obtain 60 points by capturing and player achieves 60 points within 25 tion to either have the program holding French towns. Each town is turns, then whoever is ahead is the resolve the battle automatically, or to worth one point and Paris itself is winner. fight it out in detail with the tactical worth 30 points. There are 62 French The players use a joystick to secret- battle subroutine. towns on the strategic map which ly plot movement for each of their If you do go to the tactical map, all can be captured, but practically corps for each turn on the strategic corps present are broken down into speaking, the Allies will probably not map. A corps can move one square their respective divisions of cavalry be able to take Paris against a com- per day, plus bonus moves for forc- and infantry with artillery allotted to petent French player. A more ed marches. You can also concen- each unit. The tactical combat realistic Allied plan is to try to cap- trate several of your corps in the subroutine is very detailed, and large ture 60 smaller towns. The Allies do same square on the strategic map by battles can take an hour or longer to complete. The tactical display is also French may not often win on the tac- if any Allied army sustains more than a scrolling map and occupies about tical map. Additionally, many battles 30 percent casualties, that player six screens. There are four random on the tactical map tend to be must immediately march all of his tactical maps for variety, but on the unrealistic massacres with much corps eastward and quit the game. very large scale of 200 feet per higher casualties than in real battles, This simulates the fact that the Allies, square, much of the terrain on the because the losing army cannot re- particularly the Austrians, were not tactical map is clear. treat off the tactical map. In order to confident of victory, and were un- The Tactical Level game has three avoid these unrealistic massacres, I willing to fight a war of attrition. phases and lasts for 48 turns or until suggest that you permit either player both sides decide to end the battle by to terminate any battle on the tactical pressing the option key. Each player map after 15 turns by pressing the op- French Strategy may move any or all of his divisions, tion button. With the automatic reso- The French player should obvious- each unit fires its artillery. Finally, lution feature, the loser's casualties ly try to engage in as many battles as each unit has a melee I fire phase. In- will rarely exceed 20 percent even in possible in order to try to get 60 dividual casualties are displayed for the worst defeat. To further shorten points before the Allies capture 60 each division, as well as morale level. the game, I also recommend a 15 turn towns. If you agree to use the first If a division's morale is shattered, it limit for the strategic phase, which rule modification discussed above (in may halt or even rout. is about the same length as the which the program automatically You can also form your infantry historical campaign. resolves most battles), the French divisions into the standard forma- should try to use their three options tions of this period — such as line, to go to the tactical map whenever column, mixed or square — with each they catch a smaller Allied force, and formation having different effects on try to wipe it out. With this rule morale, movement, firepower, casual- modification the French can also risk ties taken, ability to face enemy battles even when outnumbered cavalry charges, and so forth. three to one and, using automatic The high resolution graphics of the resolution, still get excellent results. strategic map display are excellent. However, if you do not use this rule The tactical map display has lower modification, the French player resolution graphics, but is adequate should probably try to avoid most for their purposes. Surprisingly, most battles at three to one odds on the tac- of this program is written in BASIC. tical map, as the Allies might wipe Despite this limitation, the program out the smaller French force. is very detailed, runs fairly quickly, There is one special situation in (although I do think the strategic which the French can always risk movement joystick control subrou- engaging a superior Allied force at tine is too slow). And, if you make a worse than two to one odds on the mistake in entering movement on the tactical map: If the French have more tactical map, there is no command to than 24 divisions on the contested Secondly, at the start of a turn on correct the error. square on the strategic map, the tac- the strategic map, each player should tical subroutine will only pick up the tell the opponent where each of his Rules Modifications first 24 divisions for each side for corps is located. This will save both display on the tactical map. There- The following suggested rules of you the time and eyestrain of sear- fore, if the French have at least 24 modifications are intended to ching for them. Further, it can be divisions, the French will always get shorten the game and also to add very frustrating for the French player at least even odds on the tactical map. realism. First, let the program resolve to lose a game merely because he This is a rather major glitch in the all tactical battles automatically, with overlooked a single Prussian corps program, and it helps the French the exception of giving the French sneaking toward Paris "camouflag- player who stacks 24 divisions per player the option of picking three bat- ed" in some script on the map square. tles to fight on the tactical map. This display. will save a lot of time, plus the auto- Thirdly, one of Napoleon's big ad- Allied Strategy matic results tend to be more realistic vantages in reality was his unified than the tactical map results. In reali- national command, which the Allies The Allied player should always try ty, the French often outfought the lacked. You can better simulate the to avoid battles, except where Allies even when outnumbered, and lack of Allied unity with a four player necessary to win control of an impor- the automatic results are according- game in which each Allied army is tant town or bridge. When required ly slanted toward the French. But, if commanded by a separate player. to fight, the Allies should try to get both players have equal skill, the Further, under this rule modification, odds of at least three to one. After a battle is resolved, the program re- declaration at the southern border of French must always protect Paris, treats the surviving defeated corps the strategic display) is impassable, and should try to prevent any Allied one square on the strategic map hence this second prong cannot corps from moving between Paris (usually toward the east for the Allies strike west across the Yonne to and blocking French corps. The pro- and usually westward for the French) threaten Paris from the southwest by gram checks for victory conditions with the victorious corps retaining the "back door". However, this force daily during the strategic movement control of the square. If retreat is can threaten to capture the towns phase, therefore the French should blocked by a river on the strategic east of Melun, and later in the game not allow any Allied corps to occupy map, all of the defeated corps are possibly cross the Seine at Melun to Paris at any time during the move- eliminated! Therefore, it is risky for then threaten Paris by the back door. ment execution phase. The French any commander to fight on a square The four Allied corps initially should try to control important adjacent to a river unless he is pre- located north of the Moselle River bridges and utilize the rivers east of pared to fight to the last man on the (P3, PL, RSBW and R11) totalling Paris as barriers to delay the Allied tactical map. 43,000 men should try to cross the advance, and also to hopefully trap The Allied player has one big ad- Meuse unopposed near Liege, then an occasional Allied army. vantage on the strategic map: he can race westward across Belgium, and easily plot evasive maneuvers in try to capture as many French towns Inevitably, as the Allies bypass order to hopefully dodge around or as possible in the vicinity of Cambrai. French strongpoints, the French will retreat away from French corps seek- Later in the game, this force should be forced to withdraw toward Paris ing battle. In general, if French corps in order to concentrate for its are nearby, the Allied corps should defense. If the French can make a last try to converge into a powerful stack, stand holding Paris, Versailles and and try to avoid the French. Melun, they have a chance to win very late in the game. The French However, if no French are near, the should try to keep 24 divisions at Allied corps should disperse in order Paris in order to get good odds on the to capture many towns as quickly as tactical map if that city is attacked. possible. If most of the Allied armies are kept I recommend the following four northeast of the Seine, the French prong invasion plan for the Allies. All player should be able to utilize the Allied corps must of course try to much shorter interior lines southwest avoid early battles, even by with- of the river to rapidly shift rein- drawing from France if necessary. forcements between Paris and The main Allied thrust should be Melun, concentrating wherever made by the seventh corps initially necessary to meet Allied threats. The located north and west of Strasbourg. French at Melun should always look The abbreviated corps designations for a chance to try to break out east are as follows: P1, PG, A3, A4, R3, R5 of Melun to recapture any undefend- and RWOR, comprising 84,000 men. ed towns. Additionally, the tiny Fifth They should march west through try to move south to threaten Paris corps (2,000 men) should be detach- Nancy or Metz, and look for a directly from the northwest, or cross ed from the main French army and chance to cross the Meuse River the Seine west of Paris in order to sent north to try to recapture as many unopposed at Verdun or St. Mihiel in threaten Paris by the back door. undefended towns as possible in the order to threaten Paris from the east. The fourth Allied prong should be vicinity of Cambrai. If a large French force advances to composed of the three corps (P2, R9 the Meuse bridges to oppose a cross- and R10) initially located west of Tactical Tips ing, this Allied force should retreat Mannheim totalling 18,000 men. When you do engage on the tac- and try to draw the French away They should move west through tical map, I recommend that you from Paris. Trier into Luxembourg, and hope- form your infantry divisions in line The second major Allied thrust fully cross the Meuse unopposed formation, and place them shoulder should be composed of the six corps near Mezieres. Later in the game this to shoulder in order to cover each initially located south of Strasbourg force may try to proceed westward other's flanks. You should anchor (PB, A5, R1, R2, R6/cavalry and R7) to capture any undefended towns your infantry flanks on woods, or the totalling 69,000 men. They should north of Paris, and possibly threaten edge of the map rivers if possible, for swing south through Basel and Paris directly from the northeast. protection against flank attacks. Your Belfort, and then try to strike north- The French player must try to react cavalry are your best shock troops, west toward Paris along the east bank promptly to Allied threats, hence it and you should try to circle them of the Seine. Regrettably, the Yonne is very difficult to define any general River (which meets the copyright French strategic plan. Obviously, the Continued on p. 47

Boardgamer Meets Computer

Jay C. Selover

What the heck is going on here? not frustrated generals, snipers, or games. No longer must you set aside I've been playing board wargames fighter pilots. They are intelligent one full day with your opponent, and for a while and feel like I'm really people who enjoy competition, who then rush the last few turns because "in" the hobby. So, of course when prefer less abstract conflict simula- the table has to be cleared for dinner! tion than is offered by chess, and wargames for personal computers One potential benefit of computer- who have a significant interest in started to spring up, I got right into ization has turned into a mixed bless- history. Good designs, like Guadal- it. (At least I thought that last Decem- ing. The computer knows the rules canal Campaign, teach logistics and ber was pretty quick.) So how come of the game and won't let you break goal-oriented planning as well as people are already talking about them. It also performs the calcula- quite a bit of history. As computer "third generation" designs which are tions required for combat and move- owners learn that a good wargame is now being supplanted by the "fourth ment. These facts seem to contribute not just a body-counting contest, I'm generation"? Things must be moving to a weakness in the documentation wondering if we might not see even very quickly in this fledging hobby. of some computer wargames. Rules some additional expansion into I'm sure that I'll enjoy watching it are often presented in a cursory man- board wargames because of some of grow from here, but I still feel like a ner, without examples or discussion. the unique features they still have father who 'missed the first two years The feeling seems to be that you'll to offer. of his child's life — there's much yet learn the rules as you go, especially A quick survey of current releases to come, but how much have I when you try to break one. (I do hate in computer wargames indicates that missed? those rude noises that some games designers are exploiting the limited make when rejecting an illegal intelligence and solitaire capabilities So how does computerized order!) Combat algorithms are often of the computer quite well. The abil- wargaming measure up for a crusty shrouded in mystery. Typically, the ity to keep enemy units hidden until old hard-core like myself? Pretty darn rules give general guidelines as to actually spotted by a friendly unit well, actually! I'm sure that all board which features influence combat wargamers have considered the makes all the difference in the world results, but optimized tactics can't be potential benefits of computerization: in a game like Computer Ambush formulated without knowing a little true limited intelligence, unbiased when it is compared to a similar type more about the importance of each refereeing and rules arbitration, and board wargame like Patrol. You've factor. The problem with the "learn challenging solitaire play. All of these got to be much more careful about as you go" outlook is that everyone are being addressed to some extent the movement of your men when has a "frustration threshold", and by current computer wargames, but you're not sure just exactly where the complex, computerized simulations I can also see another forthcoming enemy squad is located. Computers without good documentation are benefit. With a tremendously ex- provide a quantum leap into realism right on the ragged edge (especially panded market of potential con- with this type of simulation. The with novice game players). Under- sumers, good computer wargames solitaire capabilities of almost all cur- standing the rules and combat hold the promise of legitimatizing the rent computer wargames (along with algorithms allows strategies to be whole field of conflict simulation. "save game" features) also provide developed for winning play (whether Wargamers, in my experience, are great advances over board war- or not these strategies are historically sound is a function of the design Some analysis of the game after it is published thus far are truly remark- quality). If the rules presentation is completed would also be particularly able. But, I wonder if great strides incomplete, there is a risk that the appropriate; one thing that I dearly couldn't be made by a two man player will not learn to play as well miss from board wargames is the designer/programmer team (some- as possible, or that he will never after-dinner rap session where you thing like the designer/developer know why he consistently wins or finally find out exactly what your op- teams so common in board war- loses. ponent was trying to do throughout games). The potential is apparent by I hasten to add, that not all com- the game. I have played several looking at Computer Ambush. It was puter wargames are devoid of ex- solitaire computer wargames where a fine game in its first edition (that planations, examples, and other aids. I had no idea why the computer mov- is, it was a fine design); but the fact Many provide help or are really self- ed units where it did or how in the that the second edition involved explanatory. Perhaps if software world it was attempting to achieve mainly programming changes and companies formulated some mini- the objectives of the game. When I resulted in a forty-fold increase in ex- mum standards for documentation, won, I didn't know whether I had ecution speed illustrates what could the quality would be more consistent. defeated a "random move generator" happen if design and programming Another approach to greater under- or had somehow out-maneuvered a functions were each executed by standing and enjoyment of the game masterful trap that the computer was specialists. While there is still untap- would be to include a "tutorial trying to spring on me. Here again, ped potential, you can't fault com- mode" in a wargame. A program a post-game critique (with the com- puter wargaming for its current with solitaire capabilities must be puter commenting on its own perfor- "state of the art". The games are able to evaluate game situations, and mance) would be most enlightening. already side by side with board war- ought to be able to recognize when One fact about computer war- games in design concepts and so- a human player makes an obviously games which I've noticed is that they phistication. If you haven't played a bad move. In tutorial mode, the pro- are generally the products of only wargame before, check with your gram could point out bad moves (and one person who has both designed local software dealer for an entry- also good moves) either during the the game and programmed it. In level title and try it out. I'm betting game or in a post-game critique. view of this fact, the wargames that you'll like it! Review & Analysis James A. McPherson

number of ships that must go on these missions in order to keep the NAME: Cosmic Balance II nets active. In addition, once the TYPE: Space War-Game commerce net is in operation it SYSTEM: Apple II/ Atari 400/800 becomes self-sufficient and no FORMAT: Diskette longer needs supplies. In fact for #PLAYERS: 1 or 2 every cargo ship on a commerce mis- AUTHOR: Paul Murray sion above the minimum and below a PRICE: $39.95 maximum there is generated re- PUBLISHER: Strategic source points that are used to pro- Simulations Inc. cure supplies, ships, or research. It Mountain View, CA must be noted that these economies are fragile. If one of the planets in the net is captured, bombed, or for any COSMIC BALANCE II, the sequel planet, two mining planets, seven reason reduced below active status, to the popular game THE COSMIC farming planets, and a minimum then the net is destroyed. Each BALANCE is now available. While number of cargo ships traveling bet- planet left must immediately be sup- The Cosmic Balance (CBI) is a tac- ween these planets to keep them ac- plied by ships or they too will begin tical game, Cosmic Balance II (CBII) tive. You begin to build your net by to revert to "discovered" (the is a simulation of strategic opera- sending out scout ships in the im- original undeveloped status). tions in an interstellar culture. You mediate or neighboring sector to There is one additional note. Ter- discover and colonize planets; discover new planets. You can dis- ran planets are self-sufficient. They establish commerce nets; allocate cover three types of planets: Terran, are not part of a commerce net. production to supplies, starship con- Farming, and Mining. Industrial Once you learn how to establish struction, and research; and order planets, a fourth type, are merely commerce nets you are ready to go your starships to various missions. converted farming and mining pla- onto the more advanced scenarios. nets. Conversion of a planet to in- 2) Colonial Wars: In this scenario dustrial just uses more supply points. you get your first taste of conflict. The game provides five scenarios All planets must go through a period You begin with a commerce net and tracing the history of the human or steps of colonization. The in- some ships and your opponent has a races' expansion through the stars. dustrial planets take eight turns, the terran planet and some active pla- Each scenario is on a somewhat longest, and the farming worlds only nets. You win against the computer if larger scale than the previous one — take two turns. There must not be you bring Terra to an inactive status. and each is harder to play than the any gaps in these steps. If for any You lose if all your planets go inac- previous one. reason you cannot supply your col- tive. You only have 10 turns to com- 1) Terran Expansion: This scenario onies they will deteriorate. Once you plete this scenario. is for only one player. It has no con- have the prescribed number of pla- You learn quickly that the enemy flict and it's sole purpose is to let the nets out of colonization and into doesn't sit back and build up his beginning player become familiar what is called the active phase you strength. The first few times of play- Commerce Nets, important factors are ready to start your commerce ing this scenario found my planets in CBII, consist of one industrial net. The commerce net is started by captured or reduced to rubble by the with the movement, economic rules, sending cargo ships on commerce enemy in no time at all. You must act and how to "build" a commerce net. missions. There is a minimum swiftly to gain the advantage. I began attacking supply ships since I felt I complete freedom in designing your the active sector, and their status did not have enough firepower yet to own game. You can build a fleet of (those being active, ecolapse, col- attack Terra, and I wanted to hinder ships that is undefeatable and scour onial, and discovered). This table is all attempts at setting up a commerce the galaxy or be hopelessly out- set up like the ship display. net. I also tried to beef up my de- numbered and rely on your wits. fences at every opportunity given me Ships by my limited resources. Every time I Maps and Displays There are 15 different classes of have won this scenario its been ships and a standardized planet. because I have some planets active, When I first read the instructions I Each ship class has three basic at- not because I have reduced Terra to was overwhelmed with the amount tributes; size, range, and cargo an inactive status. While I have not of detail involved. But, the screen capacity. Each also has a standard set tried this approach, I have been told and map displays simplify the pro- of combat values. that it is better to invade Terra, as op- cedures and help you accurately There are 5 sizes of ships, each ap- posed to bombing it. keep track of everything that is hap- proximately twice the mass of the 3) First Contact: In this scenario pening. The only thing is that these previous one. These are the Corvette, you have three commerce nets plus maps and displays do nothing to Frigate, Destroyer, Cruiser, and Terra and the enemy has four nets in make the game interesting. You are Dreadnought. an adjacent sector. Your objective is constantly manipulating numbers as Each ship is rated under all of to prevent your own economic col- if all you are actually doing is a these categories and its effect in bat- lapse for ten turns. The enemy signi- balance sheet at the end of a month. tle is determined accordingly. ficantly overpowers you in ship fire- Even the names of the different ships power. I have found that no matter are reduced to two-letter abbrevia- what I do, I just end up barely surviv- tions. General Comments ing after the ten turns (Which by the Here are the screens: CBII is sold under SSI's Rapidfire rules is winning, isn't it?) My general 1) The Map: The map is divided in- series. After playing the game one procedure has been to attack the to 16 sectors, each of which contains may ask why? The connection is that commerce nets and to strengthen my about 40 usable planets. Control of if you so desired, CBI could be used defenses against the heavy attacks. the sectors is indicated on the map by to fight each battle in CBII. The two 4) Rebellion: In this scenario, you the color of the sector. Each sector is can be used together to play a cam- have three sectors under your con- designated by a letter. This is the on- paign. But keep in mind that CBII, trol plus one sector that is inhabited ly portion of the game that is helped itself, is not as "active" as the other by you and the enemy (sector B). The by a color tv or monitor. However, I Rapid Fire games. [Ed Note — We enemy also has two other sectors. have no difficulty using a B&W like to think of CBII as "Visicalc in Your object is to establish a com- monitor. Space".] merce net in sector B. 2) The General Display: This gives An in-progress game can be saved. My approach to winning this sce- you the most complete display of However, in order to save a game nario was to use all of my sectors to what is happening within a sector. you must give it a specific name that provide ships for sector B's conflicts. The information supplied on this must always begin with "scen". I You must do all of this while main- screen includes how much is in the found that this was sometimes taining the other sectors. This was supply pool, any cargo currently be- overlooked. the first scenario that really began ing transported, lists of ship types You can either play with another getting involved for me. For in- and the number of each available for human or against the computer with stance, each sector has a maximum missions. There is even a table at the four difficulty ratings to choose of 40 planets, so that between all par- bottom of the screen which shows from. ties we were manipulating 240 pla- the number of each class of planets Don't colonize planets before its nets worth of instructions. for each status and the number of really necessary. Keeping extra 5) The Final Conflict: In this enemy planets in the sector. This is a planets active is costly. scenario every sector except one is busy screen and you can understand involved. That means 15 sectors or the need for abbreviations. Conclusion 600 planets. The sectors are evenly 3) Ship Display: This is a table of all divided (OK, our side does control ships currently in the active sector. CBII is a very complex game with one more sector then the enemy). Across the top is a list of the types of many details and intricacies. Some This is an all out war and it is the one missions available. Along the left game-players will think this is scenario I have not yet completed. margin is a list of the types of ships. enough, but I felt that CBII was too 6) Creating A Scenario: You can By cross-indexing you can tell how much like working on a balance definitely spend a lot of time playing many ships of each class are of any sheet and watching the numbers the other scenarios. But what if you given status. change. CBII's strength is not as a want to create a game scenario of 4) Planet Display: This table exactly stand alone game; it is rather, as a your own? This option allows you details which friendly planets are in campaign companion to CBI. With great effort (the light is very Big-Top Games System (Milwaukee, dim), you are able to decipher the WI) — (414) 259-9475: The Ring- following words: 'Restricted Area — master (Neal Patrick) provides the Keep Out!" Your command? ENTER caller with nine adventures, including TELE-GAMING As you cross the threshold into the "The Wizard's Castle" and "Jungle." gaming room, the iron door slams There are also eight other games, shut behind you. Suddenly, a cloaked ranging from "Civil War" to and hooded figure materializes in the "Blackjack." The system is available center of the room. It gestures for you evenings and weekends only. to approach Then, in a rasping voice, Nessy (Chicago, IL) — (312) 773-3308: it says: "You may now play a game or Nessy is an adventure game in itself. download one for later enjoyment. Start in the Main Room by reading What is your pleasure, sojourner?" the "Help Book." Then, just explore Your command? PLAY And, play you — watching out for the carnivorous shall...once you've learned the ferrets! — until you reach the Game groundrules. Room. There you will find nine games, including text versions of Phoenix Software's "Adventure in In my last column, I discussed Time" and "Queen of Phobos." The private electronic bulletin board hours vary, but the system is usually systems (BBSs) which provide fan- online from ten p.m. to eight am. tasy role-playing games and/or daily. gaming hints. This time, I'll be listing a Drucom (North Wales, PA) number of BBSs where you can find — (215) 855-3809: Dru (the "Sexy computer games for online playing SysOp") presents five games in the and/or downloading. arcade section. You can try your hand at "King Tut," or, perhaps, Playing a computer game online is "Atlantis." Page the SysOp for a similar to playing a purchased game password to view the Adult Menu. on your home computer. However, Signature Software BBS (El Segundo, in online gaming, you use your CA) — (213) 675-1001: The Game modem to connect, via telephone, to Room is closed from six p.m. to ten someone else's computer. If a BBS p.m. nightly. At any other time, you offers online games, you can select a Patricia Fitzgibbons can battle Klingons in the classic title and play by responding to the "Star Trek," or hone your skills with other system's prompts. Generally, simulations of "Blackjack" and the games available are in the public "Othello." domain. Most of them are imagina- tive, fun, and free (some BBSs do Lethbridge Gaming System (Alberta, charge small membership fees). As CAN) — (403) 320-6923: This Logging you into the guest book always, remember that the typical Canadian BBS offers nine online Please wait... BBS is privately run; call again if the games, including "Wumpus," line is busy or doesn't answer. Of "Casino," "B-1 Bomber," and Greetings, adventurer! You must course, occasionally a system is shut "Pyramid 2000." When the operator be either very courageous or very down by the owner because he or is present, you can play "Dungeons foolhardy to visit these premises. But, she decides to discontinue the BBS. and Dragons (TM)" or "Traveller never mind' The ores will be so Here are brief descriptions of eight (TM)" as well. pleased to know you're here. They excellent single-player (one caller at a Commnet-80 (Akron, OH) — (216) were terribly disappointed when our time) gaming systems: 645-0827: In the arcade area, you'll last guest got away. We really find "Isle," "Dogstar," or "CIA." Note shouldn't make them wait any longer, Dragon's Lair (Long Beach, CA) — that there is a thirty-minute limit per should we? Prepare to enter the call. labyrinth.... (213) 428-5206: The Dragon offers fifteen adventures, including Disk Byters (Union City, CA) — (415) You are standing before an in- "Dutchman's Gold" and "Sabotage." 489-0388: Four online games are avail- tricately carved iron door. The door is There are also seven simulations, able here: "Thunder Road Adven- slightly ajar. If you look closely, you such as "Nukewar" and "Lunar ture," "Dawgbite," "Othello," and can see something of a pattern there, Lander." When the system answers, "Scramble." cut into its surface. Your command? type the password DRAGON. A one- READ CARVINGS hour playing limit is in effect here. Continued on p. 50 DELTA SQUADRON James A. McPherson

with a save option so that you may This game has it all and, if I haven't quit your game and come back to it mentioned it already, you need a col- later. Each of the scenarios are color or television or monitor to play. Well, coded to designate the average play- you could possibly play with a black ing time, which can be from one to and white monitor, but you would three hours on the average. have a difficult time telling the good In all of the scenarios you must guys from the bad. It also wouldn't be enter or already be in the trench to very enjoyable. ultimately be able to launch your As I was saying, there are 3-D photon torpedo down the MPII animated graphics throughout the (Main Power Induction Inverter) game. In the beginning, you see all NAME: Delta Squadron and win the game. the fighters in animated 3-D. When TYPE: Strategic Data is available on every fighter you fire on an enemy fighter you Space War whether it be friendly or enemy. This switch to an animated 3-D SYSTEM: Apple II/64K data is very important in your viewscreen and you fire at the fighter #PLAYERS: One strategy. For instance, pilots are through crosshairs. If you fly over a AUTHOR: Gilman G. Louie ranked according to their flight ex- turret you get to see it take potshots at PRICE: $39.95 perience and length of service. The you. If there is a hit your fighter PUBLISHER: Nexa Corp. more experienced the pilot, the more blows up. When and if you get as far accurate their targeting skills and as the MPII you again switch to 3-D greater their evasive abilities during and watch the photon torpedoes go Delta Squadron (DS) is a strategic combat situations. It is wise to attack down the tube (if your shot is good). space war simulation. You, as the the enemy with a pilot of at least the The finale is watching the Cetusite Legion Alliance Squadron Com- same rating or higher. Satellite blow up. You did make it to mander, must direct up to 34 small To win, you must navigate an on- the end didn't you? one or two seater fighters down a course Alpha or Beta fighter down Delta Squadron is a strategic space long trench and destroy the Cetusites the trench and land directly on the war game for those people who are Main Power Induction Inverter. MPII so that the ship can fire it's tired of the text and colored-grid This will result in the destruction of photon torpedo on the Inverter be- games. My only request is that the their station (Does this sound fore running out of time. There is a next time, Nexa incorporate the fan- familiar to you? I hope so). You must 20% chance that the shot will fail so cy graphics into the actual game assign some ships to fly cover while have some backup at all times. where the player can interact with others are set for on-course As always, there are many ways to them, rather than have to sit back targeting. The Cetusites will use their lose. Have all of your ships shot out and watch. own Tactical and Tactical Com- from under you, you lose. Run out of The program is a bit slow due to it mand Fighters as well as ground time, you lose. Have no on-course being a 100% graphic format but, defense systems to prevent you from Alpha and Beta fighters, you lose. after a few games, I forgot about it. accomplishing your mission. Miss the target, you lose. Fun, isn't This was because of the ease of play- Delta Squadron has nine scenarios it? ing the game with paddles. q to stimulate our brains by playing egy games communicate in abstract strategy games. What is surprising, concepts. They provide a lot more at least to me, is the number of peo- options to players than arcade games DISPATCHES ple who seem to prefer "mindless" do. Thus, the simplest solution for a Insights From the games of eye/hand coordination. Ar- design needing a variety of inputs cade games are still big winners in has always been to use the keyboard. Strategy Game the sales race. They outsell strategy The alphabetic keys provide 26 op- Design Front games by at least two to one, and, tions by themselves. If whole words at times, by as much as ten to one. are used, then the choices are almost This is particularly depressing to a infinite. However, very few people strategy game designer. A couple of are as comfortable with a keyboard years ago when I was faced with as with a joystick. Most of us have to these discouraging facts (that trans- "think" about what we're doing lated into discouraging financial sit- when we type in a command. Al- uations), I found I had three options: though strategy games are supposed to be thinking games, I don't believe 1) I could go back to work at a regular players should have to think about job. Engineers still get paid good "how" to choose a certain stratagem. money but it's just not the kind of They should only have to decide thing I want to do with my life. what choice they want to make. The 2) I could try to write action/arcade simpler the mechanism for selection, games. But I just don't have a "feel" the more the player can concentrate for that type of game. 3) I could learn on what is being selected. some lessons from arcade games and maybe improve my games in the pro- cess. This is the option that I've While there are a number of games chosen (although the jury is still out that have been designed using this as to whether I will be successful idea, there are still many more being enough to avoid the first option). published that force players to learn "command keys" or even whole So, what is there to learn from ar- "command languages". Bill Budge Dan Bunten cade games? Typically, they employ did an excellent job with icons a simple input mechanism. A joystick of Ozark Softscape (graphic symbols) and a joystick in and a fire button are all most coin-op his Pinball Construction Kit. Chris machines have. Nothing could be Crawford broke new ground in creat- easier or more familiar to use. I am ing a wargame that includes all the certain they didn't leave the keyboard realism of the best of that genre but off their design because of cost. It's communicates only through a joy- just too complicated for "regular" stick. FreeFall Associates, in Murder Virtually all simulation games are people. The fact that the most so- on the Zinderneuf, achieved the strategy games. All strategy games phisticated personal computer on amazing feat of allowing players to are thinking games. These are the the market uses an equally simple question suspects in subtle ways games that tickle the space between device is no coincidence either. The using only a joystick. It is obviously your ears. "mouse" in Apple's new "Lisa" possible to make strategy games that Although this column was pre- computer is the result of extensive are easy to play. It just requires better viously devoted to the design ele- human engineering. It is the main design from game designers. ments of "real-world" simulation device for user input. So how can we games (and called Real World Gam- take advantage of all this design ing), I would like to broaden our effort and apply it to strategy games? Since a joystick can only indicate horizons a bit. The dictionary defines The answer: use a joystick as your direction, the designer must find strategy as: input device. some way to present the options a) a careful plan or method, b) the available to the player in a "spatial" art of devising or employing plans This is easier said than done. arrangement. It makes no difference or strategems toward a goal. Joysticks work fine for moving an if the items for consideration are text These definitions imply the use of animated creature against a back- words or graphic icons. Just so they intelligence towards reaching an ground, but strategy games consist of have a positional framework and objective. This is what makes human much more than a few objects on a some way to highlight the current beings unique among the animal single screen. The input required is choice. For instance, to move among kingdom. So it is not surprising that much more complex than simple text options on a screen you could you and I should find it entertaining directions for movement. Many strat- make the current position "inverse" and you could move the selection made this process possible as well amount. You just don't let the player to the item above if the joystick is as playable. push past the top or bottom limits. moved up. All the designer need do This is a lot cleaner than waiting for This points out one of the other is define how the options are related the player to hit "return" before you advantages of a joystick — multiple according to joystick movements. can check his error or warn him. players. Putting two or more players Then a simple push of the fire button on a keyboard is almost ridiculous. will activate the player's selection. You can get more elegant by add- There just isn't enough elbow room. ing acceleration to your joystick MAKE TYPE An even more significant advantage routines where there is a chance Mine Shooter of joystick input is the fact that the the player may have a lot of ground Bunker Comndr player cannot make a mistake. It to cover. This is essential on Atari or Missile simply is not possible to input an in- Commodore joysticks (since they correct command. With a keyboard, The lines above represent part of a only have switches not potentiom- the designer must make provisions game I designed called Cytron Mas- eters). To control the speed of the for illegal keys or commands. Since ters. In the case shown here, the joystick (or cursor) you would keep what is a legal entry depends on player selects which type of unit to a total of how many times the pro- what is being asked by the program, make. When this is first printed on gram has looked at the stick and this is no small task. I have played the screen, MINE is in inverse text. found the same direction. You could games where you could type a letter use this number to determine how If a player pushes right, SHOOTER for a major option. Then you would is highlighted and MINE returns to fast to move. To slow the speed, the be given some broader choices that player would only need to let off his normal text. Pushing the joystick required typing a word (that you had down from that position will place direction for an instant. With a few to look up in the manual). And then COMNDR "under the cursor". If the enhancements, this technique could you would type a number for an player continues to push down, then give the player accuracy for short amount. If you made an error on the the cursor will move to MISSILE. (A "fine" movements and speed for long amount you specified, then you had timing loop tells how long the player "coarse" movements. to start the process all over. Although has pushed.) Only pushing up from The use of a joystick as the main the designer could have added more MISSILE will cause anything to input device in a strategy game can sophisticated error checking, I can happen. Although the design for the make a complex game much more sympathize with his problem. Flag- way the cursor moves could have playable. This requires that the de- ging bad input can be a real bear! included "wrap-around", I thought it signer do the work and let the player With a joystick design you only show was too disorienting. have the fun. But that's what they pay "legal" commands. You can even us for, isn't it? What if you want more options control numeric input better. If, for than the available screen space will Dan Bunten is the author of COM- instance, you want the player to tell allow? Then you scroll the screen, PUTER QUARTERBACK, CARTELS how many of something, you start adding new items to the bottom as & CUTTHROATS, and CYTRON out with the minimum value on the the joystick is moved down (or the MASTERS all available from Strate- screen. You tell the player to push his top if up). Or you can allow the gic Simulations. He is now a member stick "up" for more and "down" for player to "flip screens" as one option of the Ozark Softscape group that less. As he pushes, you reprint the on the current screen. In Cytron wrote M.U.L.E. (a family game for the value displayed. He can press his Masters I was looking for a way to computer) which is available from button whenever he has the right allow two players to simultaneously Electronic Arts. control armies of 50 units each while the armies were still moving on the screen. Something like Crawford did in Eastern Front (where you position a cursor over a unit on the map) which worked fine for directing indi- vidual units, but I wanted the players to be able to create new units (of 4 different types) at variable locations, organize armies under commanders, and occasionally fire missiles at op- posing massed fronts. This required several menus on a three-way split screen (with most of the screen being taken up with battlefield). The use of a joystick for each player in the Atari version (and a paddle on the Apple) makes it possible to have more com- Sales Report (photo #2) which shows peting firms than you have players. the demand for your product, and For example, you can play solitaire how you rank in the five categories against three other companies, which is more interesting (and more realistic) than having just one other. Each turn of the game represents three months of business. A turn consists of reviewing the reports of how your firm did in the previous quarter and then making plans for the coming quarter. The first photo shows the Profit and Loss report of

that buyers use to decide which pro- duct to buy. Notice, for instance, that the• Bob's Bits is number one in Price (lowest) and that 73% of the people learning who bought BB (as opposed to one of my competitors) gave this as the main reason for their selection. The game relative importance of these cat- egories may vary. Price is very im- portant when your product is a necessity — something that people Bob's Bits for the second quarter of have to buy — but it is much less im- the first year. The most important portant when your product is con- numbers are, of course, those on the Bob Proctor sidered a luxury. The reasons that famous "bottom line". In this case, buyers choose one product over they show $1,815 total profit for the another also depends on whether the quarter, which is 18% of Revenue. economy as a whole is doing well or You can also see that I'm making $91 poorly. per unit sold, which is a big 102% in- crease over the previous quarter. CARTELS & If I choose, I can examine other CUTTHROATS categories in the same manner but this is not necessary to enjoy the game or even to do well at it. Adver- tising & Marketing, Research & As I sat reading my back issues of Development, and Interest are the Computer Gaming World the other three which you have the most con- day, I realized that CGW has never trol over. Cost Of Goods Sold (COG), had an in depth review of Cartels & the biggest cost, is made of raw Cutthroats. There was a brief over- material cost and labor. These costs view back in Vol 2, Number 4 but that cannot be avoided, but your deci- was over a year ago and before CGW sions can affect them. For instance, These factors are established at the had pictures of what the screen look- you can buy extra raw material when beginning of the game. Photo #3 ed like. Such a great game deserves it is cheap and avoid paying high shows the first screen you see after more. It would get my vote for the prices later. And when your workers you decide how many players and best adult educational game for any ask for more money, you can say how many turns. It tells you what microcomputer and I wouldn't want "No!", which keeps labor costs kind of product you have, what the regular readers of this column (if down. The longer you keep denying situation with raw materials is, what there are any!) to overlook it. their request, however, the more like- the economic outlook is, and how big Each player in Cartels & Cut- ly it becomes that your factory em- a role luck will play in the game. throats is the President of a manufac- ployees will strike! If you don't want to play the turing company. There can be up to Besides the P&L Statement, there scenario which the computer has six companies and the computer can are four other reports. There is the chosen, you can either have the com- control up to five of them. This traditional Balance Sheet. There is a puter choose another at random or you can select each factor yourself. your factories. You make these deci- Annual Reports of your competitors Raw Materials, for example, can be sions with a one-letter response on to see how you stack up. scarce (in which case you must out- the planning sheet. Of course there Hopefully, you already see how bid your competition or do without!) are no right answers; what works educational this can be. Maybe you or they can be abundant. They can against one opponent may fail even learned something from my also be subject to transportation against the next. brief description. You learn how strikes, which makes it crucial to businesses do their accounting, you have some stockpiled when the learn some of the theory of the free source dries up! Likewise, Inflation enterprise system, and you learn a lit- can be anything from non-existent to tle about how to manage a small rampant. The impact of chance can business. You may also gain insights also be controlled. This determines as to how businessmen feel about in- how much variation there will be bet- flation (will YOU hesitate to pass it ween predictions and actual events. on to the consumer?), who "wins" in There are four levels from which to a labor dispute, and exactly what is choose, going from no variation to the real value of research. the wildly unpredictable! If you want to share this ex- Okay then, you know what kind of perience with larger groups, you can company you have and you know a split them into teams and play the op- little about your competition and the Once all the plans are done, the tion that prints the reports on a market. How do you convert this computer quickly calculates the printer. Give each group a fixed knowledge into a plan? Forming a results (about 15 seconds) and period in which to check results and plan consists of answering seven displays them on the screen like a agree on a plan. This will bring group questions. How many units of raw teletype. Photo #4 shows part of one; dynamics into play and add another material do you want to buy? How the top has news about general valuable (though not always plea- many units of product do you want economic conditions. As you can sant) lesson to the event. to make? What price will you sell see, Bob's Bits (BB) has done all right, Yes, the game does have limita- them for? How much will you spend and may be taking sales away from tions. For instance, you can never on advertising this quarter? How Applers, the other low-priced pro- have more than one product whereas much will you spend on research this duct, but the other two continue to most makers of cars, stereos, com- quarter? How much money do you sell very well at higher prices. puters, etc. have models to fit many want to borrow (or pay back)? And, Presumably, their product is heavily tastes and pocketbooks. Or, if you finally, how many factories do you advertised or possibly it just has a need more money to build a factory, wish to buy (or sell)? good reputation. you can't issue bonds or stock, you Occasionally, there will be a What we don't know is how much can only borrow it. So, it's a bit special decision to make. These of their revenue they actually keep as simpler than the real world, but you always show up as letters or memos profit. This is important because won't notice when you're in the mid- attached to your reports. They may that's how the winner is determined. dle of a price war. More likely, you'll be a request for money from a chari- It's okay to make half as much on be hinting loudly that if prices don't ty, a chance to hire an outside con- each unit as long as you're selling stabilize, NOBODY will be making a sultant, a demand from the labor more than twice as many! At the end profit. Oh yeah, there's no law union, or a plan to automate part of of every four turns, you get to see the against price fixing either .. . hex map (called TRACE) that will ac- cept the values 0 through 7, where 0 = hexes we can move into, 1..6 = hexes that we've already mov- ed through, and 7 = hexes we can't move through at all. We'll also need to keep a list of hexes to be looked at (called OPEN). Given that, here's our approach: (0)Put the starting hex on OPEN and set its location in TRACE[start] = 7. (1) If there are no more hexes on OPEN, then no path exists, so quit. THE SILICON (2) Get the first hex in the OPEN list, called H. CEREBRUM (3) Examine the six hexes adjacent to H, called ADJ (n) for n = 1..6. (4) If ADJ (n) is the goal hex, then by Bruce Webster quit. (5) If TRACE[ADJ (n)] = 0, then set TRACE[ADJ (n)] = n and put ADJ (n) at the end of the OPEN HEURISTIC SEARCH list. Otherwise ignore ADJ (n). PART 2: BREADTH-FIRST (6) When all 6 hexes have been ex- SEARCH amined, go to (1). RECAP Figure 1 shows the map that we ended up with last issue. S represents Last issue, we talked about using the starting hex; G, the goal hex; and heuristic information to help find X, hexes through which we can't solutions to computer problems. We move. Let's see what kind of path this gave the example of tracing a path algorithm will find. from one location to another on a hex grid by the following method: To start with, we put S on OPEN, (1) Find the six hexes circling our and then immediately pull if off to present location. look at the hexes adjacent to it. All six (2) Eliminate any hex already in hexes are clear, so all of them are our current path or through placed on OPEN, and TRACE gets which we cannot otherwise set to the appropriate values. Figure 2 move. shows what our map now looks like. (3) Of those remaining, pick the We now have six hexes on OPEN, one closest to our goal. so we pull these off, one at a time, (4) Move to the hex selected. and repeat our steps above. When (5) If we are in the goal hex, stop; we've dealt with these six hexes, otherwise, go to (1). there are now 12 new hexes on As we saw, however, this method OPEN, and Figure 3 shows what the won't necessarily find the shortest map looks like now. The process to any hex ADJ(n), n = 1..6, then H = path. In fact, in many cases it won't continues until we finally hit the goal INVADJ (n). More simply put, IN- find any path at all. So, we need node. Figure 4 shows the state of VADJ allows us to go back to where something else. TRACE when we reach our goal. we came from. Incidentally, INVADJ BREADTH -FIRST SEARCH TRACING THE PATH BACK (n) = ADJ(1 + ((n + 2) MOD 6)). An alternate solution is to use a Now that we've found the goal hex, Okay, once we've got INVADJ, we breadth-first search. The best discus- how do we trace the path back to the can find our path from the goal hex sion of this that I've found in starting hex? Well, we need the func- to the starting hex using the follow- Nilsson(71), though he gives a more tion INVADJ (n), which is the inverse ing steps: general version in Nilsson(80). Our of ADJ (n). What does this mean? approach will require a copy of the Suppose we're at hex H. If we move Continued on p. 48 other pieces, positional play is not tirely by using the joystick, while the ATARI ARENA very sophisticated either. on-screen display clearly shows the ARCHON is a good first step Allen Doum effects of these decisions. All in all, towards what will be an exciting new a superior game. class of game. Its play, despite the Describing WORMS? with words lack of depth or variation that will be is far more difficult than showing it possible, is fast moving. But watch to someone. Nonetheless, the at- this space for future developments. tempt must be made. The playfield of The basic concept is too good to WORMS? is filled with dots, each ignore. one of which would be at the center MURDER ON THE ZINDER- of hexagon. Starting at the dot in the NEUF is a mystery game for those center are from one to four worms. people who don't have time for a As each worm moves to an adjacent twelve-hour deadline. Instead, the dot, it draws a line connecting those player, (impersonating one of the dots and no worm may move where a worlds great detectives,) has only line is already drawn. Each worm is twelve minutes to crack the case. a different color, and as it moves the One of the sixteen passengers on the dots and the lines connecting them airship Zinderneuf is missing, and are changed to the color of the last since the ship will dock at Lakehurst, worm at that dot. When all six lines New Jersey in those 12 minutes, to a dot have been drawn, the last there is not a moment to be wasted. worm there claims that dot and gets The player (using a joystick) guides one point. Also, worms die when his on-screen counterpart through a they become trapped at a dot with no ELECTRONIC ARTS vertically scrolling rendition of the exit route. Due to the mathematics of cabin deck, searching the staterooms the game, pairs of worms will kill As mentioned in David Long's arti- for clues, and questioning the re- each other, while an odd worm will cle, Electronic Arts is an "all-star" maining passengers. He may ques- die at the starting dot. group of independent designers, tion (in any of several styles) or ac- But how do the worms know marketing their games under one cuse any passenger he meets, but if which direction to move? Each logo. But, it is not the "stars" that are he accuses without proof, that worm is programmed to move in a making the impact; it is the games. passenger will not talk to him again. given directions, depending on Pinball Construction Set was dis- ZINDERNEUF is the first game, to which lines are already drawn to the cussed here last issue. The graphic my knowledge, that requires the dot it is on. For example, a worm that and sound limitations of a converted GTIA graphics chip. (It can be for the first time is at a dot, with only Apple game are the only weak points booted with only the CTIA, but the a line drawn to the left, has a choice in this magnificent piece of software. screen is virtually unreadable.) This of five directions to move. If it moves ARCHON (see the review in this allows perhaps the best looking to the right, then for the rest of the issue by David Willis) is a chess-like "floor plan" in computer gaming. game it will always move to the right game in which combat is resolved on Without "breaking" the game, it is in that situation. There are four ways an an arcade-like battlefield. While impossible to tell how much varia- for a worm to "decide": NEW, neither the "chess" or " tion is possible; although there seems AUTO, WILD, and SAME. A New arcade" portions of the game would stand on to be a great deal. An experienced worm will stop at each new situation their own, the combination is uni- player will more easily recognize the and let a player decide, using a pad- que. difference between a standard an- dle. An Auto worm does the same, As most wargamers have long swer about a character and a possi- with the instructions coming from known, mastering the tactics of a ble clue, however. the computer. A Wild worm is ran- game can be far more important that The mechanics of MULE were domly pre-programmed, and Same mastering the strategy. The better ar- discussed in last issue in the review indicates that the worm will repeat cade players, likewise, can dominate by Edward Curtis. But what really its last program. It is also possible to in ARCHON. The board game has sets this game apart is its graphics. have a worm "sleep" through a given another weakness. Instead of defin- Virtually every graphic "trick" game, and still have it remember its ing geometric "chess moves", the available has been used to enrich this last program at a later date. Icons have been given "movement game. A great deal of thought was ob- WORMS? can be played allowances". This, plus the uncer- viously put into the "human en- competitively, either by teams or in- tainty of the battlefield, means that gineering". The auctions, in dividuals or can be used solitaire as a the combination play tactics in chess particular, give a player the choice to buy or pattern drawing puzzle. Its sound is largely missing in ARCHON. And, sell, to set the price of an item and since so many pieces can "fly" over even collude with other players en- Continued on p. 48 medium upon which they are stored from EPYX. This game has simi- (tape or disk), a nominal fee for copy- larities to DONKEY KONG, but ing, and mailing. The cost is usually honestly enhances the idea. There about $10, for which you get several are 30 screens to complete, broken games. Public domain games are up into three levels of play (Beginner, also marketed commercially by com- Intermediate, and Advanced.) Each panies. This is quite legal. Generally, screen presents a different challenge the companies improve the original that can be completed with the pro- version and give full credit to the per strategy. The speed of the Jump- original author. man can be varied from one (fastest) An example of this is the game to eight (slowest). At the slowest, MONOPOLE, which was originally even a four year old can run away written for the PET over a year ago from bullets. At it's fastest, watch out by John O'Hare (writer a several of arcadian! Best of all, the top 20 good public domain games). When scores and bonuses are saved to disk. the C64 was introduced, two fellows I hope that you now see that we added color, credited themselves as have only begun to unlock the many the authors, and started selling their areas of gaming available to the Com- THE version for $25 (piracy of another modore 64. Please feel free to write kind!) John O'Hare has made his own COMMODORE in and make any suggestions or com- C64 version available for $10. ments to The Commodore Key, c/o KEY A lot of good games are available in Computer Gaming World. Until next public domain, a lot of bad or time, good luck! mediocre games are also there, but the price is right. You generally find Vic-20 many adventure type games, some Dr. Johnny L. Wilson tactical, and few good arcade type Commodore 64 games. THE COMMODORE KEY TO Another group of games usually ARCADE ACTION: Crossfire, the Roy Wagner available from user groups are those best of the arcade games yet submit- that have appeared in magazines. ted is representative of the improv- These are generally not considered ing quality of the games available for Welcome again to the Commodore public domain unless expressly the Vic-20. In fact, several of my Key. This time we are going to look at stated by the author or magazine. friends who own old VCS systems public domain games and look alike They require the person who has a are becoming increasingly jealous of games. The first is relatively cheap to copy of it to own that issue of the what's available on the Vic-20. At buy and the latter is relatively easy to magazine. first, they would question if there produce because the design has al- The second area to cover are was any significant difference bet- ready been proven and the market games which imitate already ween "video games" and the com- has already been established. popular original ideas. These games puter games available for the Vic. Public domain games are most look and usually feel like the original. Now, I can usually say, "Yes!" often available from users groups. We have all seen games that look like though it was not always so. With the popularity of the Com- PAC MAN or CENTIPEDE or In the beginning, there were the modore 64 (C64) user groups are for- FROGGER. Many of these border Commodore games. The VIC AVEN- ming rapidly everywhere. Usually directly on or are examples of GER was actually SPACE IN- starting with about five people, they copyright infringement. These are VADERS for the Vic, just as RAID quickly grow. Someone is usually often only cheap rip offs of a good ON FORT KNOX was a thinly dis- designated disk librarian and they and highly profitable idea. Others, cussed version of PAC MAN. Even collect and categorize public domain though, are extensions and enhance- companies like United Microware software. The librarian is respon- ments of the popular theme. Inc. offered little advancement, sible to make available only that soft- A legitimate version of the arcade since their AMOK was an even more ware that is in the Public Domain. If game FROGGER is FROGGER (no primitive form of BERZERK. games are not in the Public Domain need to create a clever new name!) Now, however, there is a very real and they are copied for other than from Sierra On-Line. If you enjoy the difference between the VCS systems the original owner, that is an act of arcade version and want a copy at and Vic games. GRIDRUNNER (GR), copyright infringement, or more home for your C64, get this one and by Human Engineered Software (see simply piracy. forget about any cheaper look alikes. CGW 3.4) is a faster and more com- Public domain games are usually A game that extends the original plicated game than CENTIPEDE. made available for the cost of the limits of a good idea is JUMPMAN The first few grids seem to be a basic version of CENTIPEDE, but one clock, ammo limitations, and kind of "space pirate" featured on soon learns that the Y-zapper on another player; the designers have the screen uses a different combat GRIDRUNNER is more dangerous advanced another step from the strategy. Some of the pirates are very and harder to avoid than the spider in typical U-boat shooting gallery adept at laying down covering fire the "original" game. Not only that, game. and then sending in their raiders on a but the bombing patters in GR great- In CROSSFIRE, Sierra Vision strafing run. Others lay down an in- ly reduce the opportunity to use a deals with ammo limitations in a dif- tricate bombing pattern on diagonal rapid fire strategy with any success. ferent way. As the defending ship or vertical lines. Some are fairly slow The playtesters of GR wisely suggest patrols the city to rid it of the alien in both motion and rate of fire, while that players fire more sparingly than menace, it is limited to 25 shots. Near others are fast in one or the other and in other arcade games. the center of the city grid are some a few, are fast in both. It is a unique GR is not the only game that pena- "crosses," representing supply game in that regard. lizes the rapid-fire player. I im- depots. The player must pass over Sierra Vision's LUNAR LEEPER mediately liked the bookkeeping one of these supply squares at an ap- has another approach to strategic system in PARATROOPER. My propriate time in order to reload. limitations. This game, similar is brother, a VGS fanatic, couldn't Since the aliens are metamorphising style to CHOPLIFTER, has several figure out why he would keep as they are shot, and attacking with interesting limitations. First, one slaughtering the enemy Para- increasing speed and sophistication, doesn't have to worry about ammo troopers, but lose the game. He had just reloading can become an intrigu- supply too much, because the object been taught by "video games" that ing challenge. of the game is to rescue your com- there is a "free lunch" — that is, Another game from Sierra Vision rades WITHOUT damaging any of unlimited ammunition. Now, even that addresses this factor is the alien life forms (i.e. Lunar the most inexperienced strategy THRESHOLD. THRESHOLD takes Leepers). You lose points on your gamer knows that that's not true, but the SPACE INVADERS/GALAXIAN rescue attempt when you have to kill "video games" tend to work on that genre into a new dimension. Not on- one of the aliens. The second limita- principle. ly do you have to keep track of a tion is with regard to fuel. Each ship Nick Dudzik changed that limited supply (in this case, your fuel only has a limited supply and you Philosophy by subtracting either one supply), but the rapid fire strategy must try to use it to its fullest advan- or two from your score, depending will heat up your lasers until they are tage. Do you go for the rescues close on the level of play, for every bullet useless. This encourages the player, at hand first, or those farthest away? used. PARATROOPER also uses the even more than in other arcade Another interesting factor in this most delightful array of sound ef- games, to devise a different strategy. game is the lack of brakes on your fects that I've heard in any computer I found that the best strategy is to stay space ship. You must strictly use in- game. It's hard to believe the detail to the extreme left or right of each ertia in order to slow down and make put into the common situation where screen and move my ships in for your rescue. This is a challenging the paratrooper is separated from his quick sniping expeditions and right and frustrating game. Those who parachute. The invader falls faster back out to the edge of the screen. have mastered CHOPLIFTER will than the parachute and lands with a Even though each progressive want to try this "pacifist" variant. gross little SPLAT upon the ground. screen offers "space pirates" in dif- COMMODORE KEY TO THE One soon learns to expend ammuni- ferent configurations and with UNKNOWN: Tired of playing ar- tion wisely and select targets careful- slightly different combat styles, this cade games on your Vic? Want a ly in order to score well in this game. approach will achieve good results. more strategic challenge? Try Parr SEAWOLF (SW), a new entry from Another feature which distin- Programming's Sports Strategy Commodore, offers a slight variation guishes THRESHOLD from its pre- series. to the rapid fire strategy. In SW, each decessors in the genre is its FOOTBALL ADVERSARY, which player's submarine has four torpedo hyperspace feature. Each Federation I find to be as enjoyable as playing tubes available. He doesn't reload fighter (the player's ship) is allowed Avalon Hill's board game — FOOT- until all torpedoes have been used. to go hyperspace on one occasion BALL STRATEGY. Also, since Then, the computer takes about five during the game. The fiction COMPUTER FOOTBALL STRAT- seconds to reload all the tubes. In this associated with this limitation is that EGY isn't available for the Vic-20, it's three minute timed game, it can the fuel consumption is too lavish to far better than attempting a solitaire make a big difference how the am- allow this more than once. By press- version of FOOTBALL STRATEGY. munition is used. If you attempt to ing the space bar, the player's ship The computer mixes its offensive set up a rapid fire pattern, you are goes hyperspace and the entire and defensive plays in a logical, yet likely to be in the loading phase when screen (except for his ship) slows sometimes innovative fashion. One some of the faster, and thus more down. This feature enables the has to make sensible decisions con- valuable, targets appear on the player to get certain screens that are sonant with sound football strategy screen. By creating a game where the faster than others, under control. in order to win. The computer will, player must compete against the Another good feature is that each otherwise, soon grind you down. It took four games before I could win SCORPION'S TALE (Cont.) About now you should be through the secret door. You will find the one, but once I discovered how to the game. Nor, for that matter, will sword helpful in the Beam Room. In mix up my offensive plays, I began to running away (although you may fact, you should not take the sword gain ground consistently against the have to do that if you're close to with you beyond here, because there computer. Also, I had to learn what dying). It's a very tricky situation, so is a bug in the game (all versions). If each defensive formation did best. consider your remaining options you have the sword with you, Zork Some of my early humiliations could carefully. have been solved by better documen- III will hang just before the end of the game. Of course, if you've done the tation (all you get is a plastic card Sooner or later, probably later, you right thing, you won't have the sword which lists your basic choices), but will make your way to the museum with you at that time. Now the mirror one can become competitive with area. One of the rooms here is the should be open. Inside it is rather the computer soon enough. With Jewel Room, which contains some bizarre room. Careful attention to eight different defensive formations pretty items well-protected by a steel the descriptions, and a little experi- and 21 different offensive plays cage (make sure you read the mentation, should give you an idea of available, the game (though com- plaque!). Of course, there is no way how the room works. When you pletely text oriented) is very playable. for you to open or break the cage, so leave, you may be confronted by the Since one must make a decision for you'll have to look around for another Guardians of Zork. This is the last every play, it is a very involving way of getting to the goodies. You obstacle before the end game; the game. Also, the game offers a might find something helpful in the solution to it is transparent. Cheers! beautiful statistical summary at both Museum itself, which has three the half and at the end of the game. strange machines in it. Two of them At last, you meet the Dungeon At $14.95, this may be the best are just decorations, but one can be Master, who presents you with the bargain available on the Vic-20 very useful to you. Examine it final puzzle of the Zork trilogy. Keep market for sports fans. "thoroughly". And remember. just in mind what he tells you; it's quite NEXT ISSUE, KEY TO THE because you find something in one important. Also, notice that he follows UNKNOWN visits Prickly Pear Soft- room, that doesn't mean it has to stay you around, but there is one place he ware, strength against the there to work. won't go. Finally, think about the computer's team. You're almost set for the end game, robot in Zork the situation here is but there is still the Royal Pain, err, much the same. Puzzle (hehehe). This is the most That should be enough to see you tedious part of Zork III. It isn't a through! Next issue, we'll take a look REACH FOR THE STARS, from Strategic Studies Group Pty. Ltd. of Sydney, Australia, has announced maze, but you probably wish it was. at Zork Meanwhile, it's time to toss that the C-64 version of their game will be available There is only one solution to it, and it off a few quick ones.... by the end of September and will sell for $AUS45, or approximately $US40. will take you a while to work it out, so I'm just going to tell you what you STARCROSS: Getting in is not have to do (you're gonna love it). The hard. Count the number of bumps, and think about where you're from. Sirius Software announced the release of four new proper way to get out is to move the games and the translation to new machines of wall with the ladder on the west side As for the colored disks, they can several others. The new titles include GRUDS IN help you in several ways. Try putting SPACE (Apple, C-64, and soon Atari), SQUISH'EM to the hole where you first entered. (C-64, Vic-20), CAPTURE THE FLAG (Atari, and Then, you can climb up the ladder them on the floor, and work from soon Apple, C-64, and Vic-20), and BUZZARD BAIT there. WIZARD & PRINCESS: (Apple, IBM PC). The translated games include and get out. You must exit this way BLADE OF BLACKPOOLE (C-64) and TYPE AT- with the book, or you won't be able to Getting off the island should be done TACK (C-64). finish the game. It's a matter of in a vial manner; keep in mind the moving the walls in the proper general direction you've been going all this time. SAVAGE ISLAND I: You October releases for SSI include FORTRESS sequence, so take the time to map the (Apple and Atari, $34.95), which is a cross between Puzzle carefully, moving as few walls know what the bear wants; what's in Chess/Go/Othello; QUEEN OF HEARTS (Apple and the ocean, and have you found a hot Atari, $34.95), a pinball game; COMBAT LEADER as possible. After that, advance (C-64 version), KNIGHTS OF THE DESERT (C-64 planning, as well as trial and error, place yet? version); and PROFESSIONAL TOUR GOLF (Apple and Atari, $39.95), a golf game using real courses should get you out. Well, it's closing time again. Thanks and historical players. COMPUTER BASEBALL on the IBM PC has been moved back to a late October Now, at last, it's off to see the for dropping by, and if you need help release. CARRIER FORCE, which includes all four in between issues, you can reach me major Pacific carrier battles should be out by Dungeon Master. First, find a room Thanksgiving (Apple and Atari, $59.95). WAR IN with pictures. If there's nothing in the following ways: 1) Send a self- RUSSIA (a game of the Eastern Front WWII) should addressed, stamped envelope to be ready for the Apple and Atari in Spring 1984. special about it when you get there, keep going out and coming back Scorpia, 1319 Second Ave, Suite 540 The winner of PENTATHALON (held recently at until there is. Then, of course, you N.Y., N.Y. 10021; 2) On the Source: MICROCON) was Russell Schmalenber of Anaheim ST1030; 3) On CompuServe, Go CA. He just edged out Chris Many of Los Angeles. have to do the right thing; I hope you Russell received a $1000.00 check from SSI, sponsor GAM-310 or EMAIL 70001,1263. of the PENTATHLON. A full report on Microcon picked up everything you came will appear in our next issue. across in the game so far! Happy adventuring! COMBAT LEADER (Cont.) PARIS IN DANGER (Cont.) moment to strike a hammer blow at a demoralized section of the Allied reduce their rate of return fire. There behind the enemy infantry in order line. is even a chance that a unit under fire to make rear or flank charges to The random tactical map display may panic. A panicked unit will not hopefully scatter them. When shoot- which has bridges is a death trap for fire, will probably halt, and may even ing your artillery, always aim first at whichever side attempts a bridge run away. nearby enemy cavalry if possible. crossing. If this map appears on the CL has a very competitive artificial Bloodied infantry units with low tactical display, do not try to cross, intelligence. Many designers achieve morale should be immediately pull- but converge into a "U" formation to play balance in complex solitaire ed back from the line and put into defend your own bridgeheads, and games by adjusting the odds in favor square formations to steady them hope the enemy tries to cross over in- of the program, but not in this game. against cavalry rushes. You should to the killing ground. Your computer opponent in CL plays try to maintain a small reserve of If you are interested in learning under the same rules you do. I have high morale infantry units in column more about Napoleonic military heard favorable comparisons between formations directly behind your main history, any public library should CL and the U.S. Army's JANUS line which can be used to rapidly have several books on the subject. tactical combat simulator at the plug any holes in your line, to exploit Good luck, and Vive L'Empereur. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. any breaches in the enemy line, or to hopefully block any enemy cavalry Twentieth century small unit tactics There were several major bugs in is a very complex subject, and this charges directed at the rear of your the first production run of this game line. program realistically portrays the which have been corrected. To check uncertainties and hazards faced by a When these reserve divisions make your copy, try to march any corps off modern mechanized company com- contact with the enemy, they should the northern border of the strategic mander. You will probably get butch- deploy from column to line forma- map. If the program crashes, you have ered in your first few games, but this tion in order to increase fire power. a defective copy. is a safe and painless way to explore You should always direct your new possibilities. The fastest way to musket fire into the square directly ED NOTE — A couple of frustrating improve your skill is to play a few in front of your line to maximize aspects of Paris in Danger are: 1) games as an armor platoon subcom- firepower, not to the side. Try to con- strategic orders are repeated each mander with the program as your centrate your firepower on the turn and; 2) the tactical formation company commander, and carefully enemy unit with the lowest morale. known as the column (a favorite of the observe how it handles different If a unit routs, very few survivors will French) is not given adequate treat- tactical problems. subsequently reappear on the ment in the game. The main idea is to shoot a greater strategic map. Therefore, you will With strategic orders repeating volume of fire at enemy units than probably inflict more casualties by themselves, your unit will continue to you receive. Volume of fire is deter- scattering one panicky unit than by march on even after reaching the in- mined by the number of guns firing shooting up several steady ones. tended destination. We would like to multiplied by their rate of fire. Sta- The three divisions of the famous have seen orders start from "scratch" tionary units have a higher rate of Old Guard Corps (12,000 men) are an each turn. Mike Cullum, Director of fire than moving units. Terrain also elite corps of French veterans whose Software at Avalon Hill Microcom- has crucial effects on line of sight, morale level will always commence puter Games, indicates that line of fire, protective cover and at 100 percent on the tactical map playtesters were split in their opinion movement capability. regardless of how many casualties on repeating orders, some wanted the Any public library should have they suffered in previous combats. repeating orders which meant that several useful military history books This high morale makes them ex- units moving long distances need not on small unit tactics. I especially cellent for use as shock troops. In the be reordered each turn; and also forc- recommend General George Patton's twilight at Waterloo, after the rest of ed players to take the time to check War As I Knew It (Appendix D) and the French army had quit the field, each unit each turn. Other playtesters General Marshall's Men Against Fire. two squares of the hopelessly out- supported our view that starting from For German tactics from 1939 to numbered Guard were literally faith- scratch each turn is better. 1945, consult the German Army ful to their brave regimental motto: Cullum admitted that column for- Handbook by Davies. Don't be afraid "The Guard dies, but never sur- mation was not given adequate treat- to improvise, but remember . . . the renders!" The French player should ment in PID citing lack of memory real time pace of the game forces you not waste the Old Guard by placing space as a reason. He said that future to act quickly. As General Patton it in the main line exposed to enemy releases incorporating the PID tac- once said, "A good plan executed artillery. These crack troops should tical game system will have improved immediately is better than the perfect be placed in reserve in column for- treatment of columns. Waterloo and plan executed too late." mation behind the main line, and Leipzig games using the PID tactical Good luck, and stay low! q hopefully unleashed at the decisive system are planned. ATARI ARENA (Cont.) SILICON (Cont.) When a hex H is expanded, TRACE[ADJ (n)].COST = TRACE and graphics are excellent, and some (1) Set H = the goal hex and clear [H].COST + ENTER(ADJ (n)). There of the graphics elements and the out OPEN. are a few other modification, too. In- speed of the game can be varied. (2) Put H at the front of OPEN. stead of using the first hex in OPEN Games like WORMS? and PIN- (3) If H = the starting hex, then for H, H is set to the hex in OPEN BALL CONSTRUCTION SET ad- quit. having the lowest cost. Also, if dress directly the nature of the com- (4) Set n = TRACE[H]. ADJ(n) has already been expanded puter. Not simply computer versions (5) Set H = INVADJ (n). from another hex (i.e., if TRACE[ADJ of some type of board games which (6) Go to (2). (n)] = 1..6), then we need to check if perhaps provides an opponent, but When this process ends, OPEN will TRACE[ADJ(n)]. COST TRACE classes of games impossible without contain a list of all of the hexes in the [H].COST + ENTER(ADJ(n)). If so, a computer. These two join the small path from the starting hex to the goal then we've found a better path to list of games like COSMIC hex, inclusive. Figure 5 shows the ADJ(n). In such a case, we need to set BALANCE from SSI and the-as-yet-unavailable-on-the-Atari ROBOT- path found by this means — an op- TRACE[ADJ(n)].COST = TRACE timal path (7 hexes). In fact, this [H].COST + ENTER(ADJ(n)), set WAR (hint, hint) from MUSE as true algorithm will always find an op- TRACE[ADJ(n)].DIRECTION = n, "Computer Gaming". May their timal (shortest) path, if a path exists and place ADJ(n) on OPEN (if it's no tribe increase. at all. still there). In all of these Electronic Arts One last variation: instead of a games, every effort seems to have single starting hex and a single goal been made to put as much graphics hex, we can have several starting and sound into the game as possible. hexes and/or several goal hexes. In The controller input for each game is step (0) above, we put all of the star- easy and obvious. The games are all ting hexes onto OPEN. In step(7), we good to excellent. If these standards check if H is any one of the goal are maintained, may their tribe in- hexes. We have then found the crease also. 0 shortest path between the two sets of hexes. If we want to, we can remove one or both of the linked hexes from their respective sets and start the whole process over again. VARIATIONS I've given a version adapted to hex CONFESSIONS maps. However, it works very well Having given you this marvelous for rectangular grids, especially method, I now have a confession to where the range for ADJ is n = 1..8. make: this algorithm involves no In fact, I recently played a computer heuristic information. Instead, it's game involving personal combat on known as a "blind search" or "unin- a grid that could benefit from this. In formed search". Its prime benefit is it, computer-controlled individuals that you are guaranteed to find the moving toward a goal frequently got optimal path from start to goal. Its trapped in rooms and couldn't move main drawback is that it tends to eat out. Appropriate use of this up a lost of time and memory, algorithm could easily get them out especially for large maps. of those rooms. Next issue, we're going to modify Another variation involves dif- this algorithm into an ordered-search ferent terrain types, where move- method which will use heuristic in- ment into such hexes is possible but formation, to see if we can't improve costs more in movement points. on its speed while maintaining its ef- We'll call that value ENTER(H) for fectiveness. See you then. any hex H. An optimal path is then defined in terms of total movement REFERENCES points required, rather than actual Nilsson, Nils J. (1971): Problem Solving number of hexes moved through. To Methods in Artificial Intelligence, accommodate this TRACE must McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, now hold an additional value in each 1971. (1980): Principles of Artificial location: the cost to reach that loca- Intelligence, Tioga Publishing Company, tion. TRACE[start].COST is set to 0. Palo Alto, 1980. TAC (Cont.) team two along the right edge of sec- One rather strong objection which Infantry movement uses the same tor E-3. These units always start in I had was that you cannot scroll bet- "control yoke" but with one dif- the same positions, so early use of in- ween map sectors. This means that if ference. Each press of the key moves direct fire against the enemy's my Pershing is at the extreme left the infantry one movement point in known starting position can be very edge of one sector, and your Tiger is the indicated direction, thus allow- effective. Scenario two is a static at the right edge of the adjoining ing you to position the infantry ex- defense, with team two setting up in board, we could be almost adjacent actly where you want them. Why row D or E with a minefield some- and never be seen on the same tac- don't the AFV's have this incremen- where in row C,D, or E. Only infan- tical screen at the same time. I'm tal movement? I don't know, but in try units can clear minefields for sure that adding scrolling to the map this writer's opinion it would have your AFV's to move through safely, display would have been quite a job, been much less frustrating. so this one can be a real challenge. In but it most certainly would have Both infantry and field guns have addition, team two starts in improv- made play considerably smoother. their own built in transportation and ed positions, so they are harder to see Another annoyance was that the glo- can be in either a loaded or unloaded and hit. bal (or strategic) map is not state — referring, of course, to Scenario three is the same as two, accessible at all times, but only at whether the unit is in fighting mode except that team one has to exit from specific spots in the sequence of or transport mode. When loaded, the the lower right corner of sector E-3, play; and that it is in black and white transport and the fighting unit are and that there is no minefield. only. indivisible. If hit and destroyed, they Scenario four, rear guard, is a con- In conclusion, I found TAC to be both go together. When unloaded, tinuously renewing stream of IS II an enjoyable and relatively accurate the unit can survive while watching Russian tanks attacking from the representation of individual armor- its transport be destroyed. If this oc- south. Each time you destroy a Rus- ed combat, and one which I will con- curs, your infantry will still have sian tank, a new one appears at the tinue to play, on occasion, for quite a some movement ability, but the field south map edge. How many can you while. On the other hand, with a little gun will only be able to pivot in wipe out before they get you? more development, perhaps greater place. In Scenario five (a stalemate situa- input from the folks at Avalon Hill or Combat can take one of five forms. tion), both teams begin in improved more suggestions from playtesters, Most non-infantry units can engage positions with a minefield between this one could have been a true All in indirect fire, AFV's can perform them. The goal is to break through Star. When I think of what this could overrun against dismounted infantry and kill the opponent. have been with ravines, creeks, or field guns, infantry can close The AFV's of each nationality are roads, and clearly defined forests; assault AFV's, infantry can engage in rated according to armor thickness, with a more incremental system of firefights with other infantry, and of sun range and effectiveness, fuel tank movement and a scrolling map .. . course AFV's infantry, and field location, speed, and many other fac- guns can engage in direct fire against tors. The infantry squads and field ED. NOTE — Mike Cullum, Director all types of targets. The graphics in guns are all generic, with each unit of Software at Avalon Hill Micro- the combat resolution phase are possessing unlimited ammunition computer Games, indicates that the quite acceptable. The firing unit and fuel. No detailed information is problem of tank movement as ex- shows a nice muzzle blast and then, given, so unless you have the statis- plained in David Long's review is a if a hit occurs, the target flashes red tical data available elsewhere in your matter of "practice". After a period of while you are informed as to where library (I did) you'll have to fight your learning, players can solve the pro- the hit occurred and if you have way to knowledge. You will soon dis- blems of movement. He said that one destroyed the target. There is one un- cover, for example, that there is no reason for including the fast action fortunate bit of programming which way that an American Stuart tank movement was to put the player in a slipped into the game. When an in- can knock out a German Tiger or "live" stress producing situation in fantry squad is the target and you Russian JS II from the front. You can which mistakes are made by begin- score a hit, you set the disconcerting hit'em all day long, and you just ners and are avoided by veterans. message that the unit was hit, say, on won't do any damage. Cullum also told us that TAC is the the upper left turret, or perhaps the My overall reaction to TAC is first in a series of games using the TAC lower right hull. This is forgivable, positive. The graphics and sound ef- system. Tactical armor, both WWII but does slightly detract from the fects are good. A fact which was and modern, as well as a divisional overall effect as your average infan- mentioned in the rules but not level Civil War game are subjects be- try squad has neither a turret nor a highlighted, is that the game does ing explored. Future releases will hull. support Sweet Micro Systems, have more emphasis on infantry, bet- Five different scenarios are of- MOCKINGBOARD, and when do- ter movement systems, and maps fered for play. Number one, the ing so has excellent sound effects — which center on units. Cullum says meeting engagement starts team one enough to make you want to duck the that comments from players of their along the left edge of sector A-1, and incoming rounds. games are always encouraged. 0 TELE-GAMING (Cont.) Ed Gelb's Data Base (Wayne, NJ) — NAME GAME (Cont.) (201) 694-7425: The software library Many BBSs provide software Reference Guide. Both books share here is very extensive, and contains libraries for downloading, and their an amazing facility for "explaining" many games for the Apple, TRS-80, catalogues often contain good public things in such way that you can't CoCo, and Heath/Zenith machines. domain games for various brands of understand what they're talking computers. "Downloading" involves RCP/M System (Chicago, IL) — (312) about until you've figured it out for the transmission of a program dir- 789-0499: As with many of the remote yourself. The text contradicts itself ectly from the BBS' computer to CP /M BBSs, this system offers a left and right. The sample programs your machine. You will have to read huge library of software, including are full of typos, bugs, and incorrect a particular BBS' file transfer in- numerous game programs. It is on- annotations. structions in order to determine line twenty-four hours a day, and is whether you can utilize protocol often busy. Keep trying! Using the disk directory is clumsy transfer (with error-checking) or and utterly unintuitive. You cannot standard downloading (no error- run a program without first loading DAJAX Software (Augusta, GA) — checking). Among the systems I it; an outoboot is impossible. You (404) 736-3529: This is a fee system mentioned above, Commnet-80 , Disk cannot "SAVE" an updated version like the Telephone Software Connec- Byters, and Drucom also have games of a program over an old one. (A tion. You will have to obtain an in their download areas. Here are separate command or a change of account number and a verified pass- descriptions of nine additional BBSs names is required.) If you try — or if word before you can access DAJAX's which offer game programs: you do any of the hundred other extensive catalogue. things it doesn't like — the drive will A.R.C.A.D.E. (Sterling Heights, MI) — Miami's Big Apple (Miami, FL) — flash a red light (or, worse, go off into (313) 978-8087: Primarily an Atari (305) 948-8000: With that name, you limbo and never return); but system, the A.R.C.A.D.E. game files won't be surprised that this is an nowhere, ever, will you be told what include "Civil War," "Microids," "Live Apple system. The software catalogue you did wrong. Most programming Wire," "Island Jumper," and "Horse is very good; however, you must pay or operating errors are not identified Race." The menu is updated a membership fee in order to down- even with a number. periodically. load programs. The temperamental drive is numb- Los Angeles RCP/ M BBS (Los Coin Games Net (Covina, CA) — (213) ingly slow. It takes almost half an Angeles, CA) — (213) 296-5927: hour to back-up a disk! Worse yet, it 336-5535: This system is run by a Another CP /M- based system with a company that distributes coin- has a fatally unbalanced flywheel; as large library, including many games. of mid-August, Commodore is quiet- operated video games. There is a good The line is frequently busy, so try selection of games for the Apple, Pet, ly recalling the 1541 from large calling late at night. owners or and TRS-80 computers, including retailers without notifying "Monopoly," "Nevada Craps," If none of the systems I've men- the public of the flaw. "Caribbean Cruise," 'Deep Space," tioned is local to you, you can find the and Invaders." names and modem numbers of other The real tragedy is that the people gaming BBSs by asking experienced who are buying the Commodore 64 users in your area or by checking the (in droves) are novices — the people ARK-NET PBBS (Little Rock, AR) — "Other Systems" selection on one of least suited to the machine. Only two (501)372-0576: ARK-NET is primarily the boards described above. You can reactions are likely: either they will a TRS-80 system. It is online after also call the People's Message System think themselves stupid (because midnight on weeknights, with ex- in Santee, California (619) 561-7277 they can't understand what's going tended weekend hours. Several for a list of BBSs throughout the on and can't avoid mysterious games are available, including "Star country and abroad. mistakes), or they will think all com- Search," "Centipede," and "Rubik's puters are horrible and throw the Cube." A final word: As you use different BBSs, reciprocate the favor by join- whole idea out the window along Telephone Software Connection ing discussions on the message board with their 64. (Torrance, CA) — (213) 516-9432: or uploading some of the game pro- Do yourself, your friends, and the T.S.C. is run by Ed Magnin, who grams you've collected. Most systems offers nine games. "Go-Moku," whole industry a big favor: steer peo- are free, and the SysOps appreciate ple toward something else. Anything "Chess Connection," "Tele-Gammon," caller participation. "Wall Street Journey," "Keno else. Master," and "Computer Concen- In my next column, I'll be discuss- tration" are popular favorites. All ing multi-player tele-gaming — those Ed. note — As our regular readers games are for the Apple, and you are systems which allow many users to know by now, Jon Freeman writes on billed to your credit card for each play exciting online games... controversial subjects. Your res- download. simultaneously. ponses are always welcome. There were 234 RIDs turned in by RID #10 (Use card provided) press time for this issue. The Use boxes #1, #2 and #3 to record breakdown of users was: Apple reader survey answers from INSIDE (47%), Atari (43%); C-64 (4%); others THE INDUSTRY. See page 3 for in- (3%). As they have done for several structions. issues, the Atari readers gain ground On this page a number of games on the Apple readers. There are two and articles are listed for evaluation. reasons for this trend. First, the Atari Please take time to evaluate these market has, of course, outgrown the games and articles. Use the Apple market in terms of machines guidelines above for game evalua- in the field. And, second, games tion. Leave blank any game which reported on in CGW are more uni- you have not played enough to have formly available on both machines. It formed an opinion. will be interesting to see what hap- Please rate articles on the basis of pens with the C-64 readership now the article itself, not your opinion of that they have their own column and the game being reviewed. Enter a the long awaited onslaught of games zero for any article that does not in- is starting to hit the marketplace. terest you. One of the questions we asked in RID #9 was "what is your favorite category of computer game?". The breakdown was: Strategy (62%), Adventure (27%), and Arcade (11%). Newly rated games and updated game ratings are listed with bold type in the table on page 52. GAME RATING The table on page 52 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 evalua- tion are those covered in the magazine and/or those having a good sales record during the time of evaluation. Once offered for evalua- tion, 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 in- cluded in the results. Games were rated on a scale of 1 (terrible) to 9 (outstanding). Re- spondents were asked to consider such things as PRESENTATION (graphics, sound, packaging, documentation); GAME DESIGN (design, playability, interesting?); LIFE (does the game wear well?) R.I.D. was prepared with the help of SPEED STAT by SoftCorp International, Westerville, OH 800-543-1350 See page 51 for details on the Reader Input Device