Vol. 4 No. 2 April 1984 FEATURES SO YOU STILL WANT TO WRITE A COMPUTER GAME . 11 Chris Crawford on Game Design LEARNING BRIDGE 16 Goren Computerized Bob Proctor CARRIER FORCE 22 The Fog of War at Its Foggiest Tom Cheche DIRECTORY OF GAME MANUFACTURERS 24 Annual Directory of Companies and Their Games ROBOTWAR TOURNAMENT RESULTS 36 An Incredible Finish PLANET PHOTON 41 "Live" Sci-Fi Gaming Comes to Dallas Departments Inside the Industry 6 Taking a peek 8 Letters 12 Hobby and Industry News 14 Dispatches (M.U.L.E. Designer Notes) 17 Scorpion's Tale (Starcross Tips) 20 Tele-Gaming 32 Name of the Game (Software Superstars?) 20 The Commodore Key 39 Micro Reviews (Parthian Kings, Planetfall, Axis Assassin, Hard Hat Mack, Oil's Well, Conquering Worlds) 43 Reader Input Device 50 Game Ratings 48 INSIDE THE INDUSTRY by Dana Lombardy 10. Spectator Mode (you watch the com- In the December, 1983 issue we gave puter Facts in Five; Cartels & Cutthroats; puter demonstrate or play against you the results of the survey regarding M.U.L.E.; etc. itself) how the readers of CGW buy computer Some games have features that could games. Most of you (55.1%) said you buy place them in more than one category. fewer computer games now, and that For example, Flying Tigers has both ar- Part IV (Question 11) you're more selective about the ones you cade and wargame features. do buy. The above list is meant to provide a Check the one type of play that you do guideline to enable you to answer the most each month (your favorite): following questions. Last issue (February, 1984), we publish- A. Solitaire ed the results of a survey that asked you what kinds of non-computer games (war- B. Player vs. Player games, role-playing games, etc.) you Use R.I.D. card in the C. Tele-Gaming played before and after you became in- volved with computer games. Most of you back of magazine D. Spectator Mode (46.9%) still play many of the same non- to respond to this computer games as you did before you Thanks for taking the time to tell us the became a computer hobbyist, but almost survey. types of computer games you play. The one-third of you (31.0%) have stopped results of this mini-survey will be pub- playing these other types of games and Part I (Questions 1 through 5) lished in a future column. now play computer games exclusively. This time our survey asks you what Check each category of computer game types of computer games you play that you play at least five times a month: regularly, and what features you like best 1. Adventure in computer games. For the purposes of this survey, let us 2. Wargame say that there are roughly five categories 3. Arcade of computer games: adventure (role- playing; wargame; arcade; abstract; and 4. Abstract sports or other strategy. 5. Sports/Other Adventure computer games would in- clude such games as Zork; Ultima; Maces Part II (Question 6) & Magic; Wizardry; Temple of Apshai; Questron; Suspended; and Castle Wolfens- Put the number of the one category of tein (which also has arcade features). computer game that you play the most Computer wargames include historical (your favorite): and science fiction battle simulations, such as: Robotwar; Cosmic Balance; Warp 1. Adventure Factor; Computer Diplomacy; Eastern Front; Battle of Shiloh; Computer Am- 2. Wargame bush; Combat Leader; Close Assault; 3. Arcade Bomb Alley; TAC; Paris in Danger; Legion- naire; Eagles; Operation Whirlwind; and 4. Abstract North Atlantic '86. 5. Sports/Other Computer arcade games include, as only a very small sampling: Choplifter; Part III (Questions 7 through 10) Lode Runner; Donkey Kong; Pac-Man; Frogger; Centipede; Zaxxon; Flight Check each type of play you're involved Simulator; Q-bert; Lunar Leeper; in at least three times a month: Jawbreaker; Flying Tigers; and various pinball games. 7. Solitaire (you against the computer) Abstract computer games include: 8. Player vs. Player (you against Sargon; Fortress; Pensate; and other another player using the same chess, checkers, and backgammon style computer) games. Sports and other strategy computer 9. Tele-Gaming (you against another games include: Computer Baseball; Com- playing or computer in a network puter Football; Championship Golf; Corn- using a modem) Game Playing Aids from Computer Gaming World COSMIC BALANCE SHIPYARD DISK Contains over 20 ships that competed in the CGW COSMIC BALANCE SHIP DESIGN CONTEST. Included are Avenger, the tournament winner; Blaze, Mongoose, and MKVP6, the judge's ships. These ships are ideal for the gamer who cannot find enough competition or wants to study the ship designs of other garners around the country. SSI's The Cosmic Balance is required to use the shipyard disk. PLEASE SPECIFY APPLE OR ATARI VERSION WHEN ORDERING. $15.00 ROBOTWAR TOURNAMENT DISKS Diskette #1 contains the source code for the twelve entrants in CGW's Second Annual Robotwar Tournament. Diskette #2 contains the seventeen entrants in the recently completed Third Annual Robotwar Tournament. Muse Software's ROBOTWAR required to use these diskettes. Please specify which diskette when ordering. $15.00 each or $25.00 for both. 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. $15.00 Send check or money order to: Computer Gaming World, Disk Order Dept., P.O. Box 4566, Anaheim, CA 92803-4566. California residents please add 696 sales tax. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Activision Inc. Atari Program Exchange 2350 Bayshore Frontage Rd. Blue Chip Software 1346 Bordeaux Mountain View, CA 94043 19818 Ventura Blvd. Suite 204 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 KABOOM!: The home video machine comes to the home computer. Kaboom BARON: Real estate simulation game is just one of many video cartridge EXCALIBUR: Chris Crawford game which doubles as an educational vehi- games that Activision and others have set in a fantasy world based on the cle for learning about investment translated into home computer for- legend of King Arthur. The large scope finance. 60 months of real estate mat. You play again the computer's of the game includes economics, trading is compressed into a one hour mad bomber or a human opponent as diplomacy, magic, wars and battles, exercise. Many systems. you attempt to catch bombs which are friendship, loyalty, treachery, etc. tossed with ever increasing speed. Atari. $30.00 Strictly for the arcade fiend. Each of the Activision games is available (or Cheapsuit Software P.O. Box 923 will be) for the Atari, C-64, and Avalon Hill Game Company Iowa City, IA 52244 Adam/Colecovision systems. 4517 Harford Rd. Baltimore, MD 21214 MEGAMANIA: Space Invaders meet STAR FERRY: A strategy game of your nightmares. Fight off invasions passenger travel to the stars. With of hamburgers, ice cream sandwiches, limited capital you, as the owner of a radial tires, steam irons and other UNDER SOUTHERN SKIES: A starship company, must build ships, unspeakable horrors. Nothing new simulation of the exploits and sinking explore for habitable planets, and here in terms of design, but the of the German Pocket Battleship Graf transport emigrants there. Apple. graphics are humorous. If you are a Spee. Either solitaire (computer is Space Invaders fan, you will like it. British) or two player, USS has a strategic as well as tactical game. Nice graphics. Look for a future review. Davka Corp. You are Pitfall Harry sear- PITFALL: Apple. 845 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 843 ching for treasures in a danger filled Chicago, IL 60611 jungle. Much like B.C.'s Quest for Tires in design elements. Arcade SPACE COWBOY: An arcade game SAMSON AND DELILAH: RIVER RAID: Pilot your aircraft up in which you must escape from prison game based on the biblical story of the river blowing up bridges while and pilot your ship to safety. Good Samson bringing down the Philistine avoiding helicopters, ships, jets, etc. 45 ° graphic view. Atari. temple. C-64 (Apple coming). $24.95. Magnetic Harvest make for a real challenge. Apple. "Rumpelstiltskin" and "The Ugly P.O. BOX 255 $24 .95 . Duckling". Four games also included. Hopkins, SC 29061 Atari. See "Safetyline" for prices. Maximus 6723 Whitter Ave. GNOSIS VII: Very interesting pro- Microprose Software McLean, VA 22101 gram. Gnosis is a complex word logic 10616 Beaver Dam Road puzzle set within a role-playing SAFETYLINE: A software movie nar- Hunt Valley, MD 21030 scenario. Your goal is to discover the rated by Max the Cat which presents secret names of seven Lords of Power. safety tips to children. Children are MIG ALLEY ACE: A well done split Check it out. Apple. $19.95. taught how to cross streets safely and screen 3–D air combat game. The what to do when they get lost. Four split screen allows two players to sit PLANETMASTER: You are in charge games reinforce the safety tips. in separate cockpits (using one com- of a sanctuary satellite and charged Disk/cassette ($34.95). Cassette only puter). Players can fight one another with selecting and maintaining six en- ($29.95). in F-86's or dogfight cooperatively dangered alien species. Variations in against MIG-15's. The simulated air- the needs of the various species, all STORYLINE: Clover the Clown craft are capable of real jet aircraft coexisting in the same environment guides children though the fairy tales maneuvers.