I have a vague recollection of a game set in WW2, where you didn't control individual units but gave groups of units orders. The writer of the game (it wasn't RT Smith), wrote a series of games using this control method.
Can't remember the games name though.
It might have been one of Ken Wright's games. I don't think they were quite as good as R.T. Smith's but he wrote a lot more of them and covered a bunch of different eras such as the Napoleonic and American Civil Wars. The WW2 ones were Blitzkreig, Overlord and Stalingrad.
... don't say Stonkers, although it was fun for a little while
It may seem a joke but I'd say Stonkers. Yes! It was the first and only strategy game I played for months on the speccy. And the real-time action made it very addictive (no, I haven't gone mad! :lol:). If I remember well, it was the first real-time strategy game I've known in any plattform. It has got a bit merit...
Later I got a type-in game, Wargame, very addictive and funny. The only problem is that it was written in spanish...
Never got into the main strategy games back in the day but i should try them again so i can appreciate them more.
I always thought Rebelstar I and II were great 'crossover' games as a lot of people who werent huge strategy games suddenly loved the Rebelstar series of games. Brilliant they are
Never got into the main strategy games back in the day but i should try them again so i can appreciate them more.
I always thought Rebelstar I and II were great 'crossover' games as a lot of people who werent huge strategy games suddenly loved the Rebelstar series of games. Brilliant they are
I think that Julian Gollop did a huge amount of work on the user interface of his games to make them more accessible to people more accustomed to arcade-style games. Even the likes of Nebula and Rebelstar Raiders were quite playable compared to what else was around at the time, but he really turned the corner with Chaos. When most other strategy games required you to peruse a manual about the size of the Old Testament and no more readable, work things out on a calculator or squared paper whilst you played, and made you type in commands in some weird code, all you need to do with Chaos is move a cursor about and pick things from a menu. Things got even better with the later games to the extent that you can even play Laser Squad entirely with a joystick.
Another game that deserves a mention in this regards is Viking Raiders. Despite being written in BASIC, having a silly theme and looking rather crap, it's got a superb interface that allows you to concentrate on your strategy without getting too bogged down in the game mechanics which are deliberately kept very simple.
It might have been one of Ken Wright's games. I don't think they were quite as good as R.T. Smith's but he wrote a lot more of them and covered a bunch of different eras such as the Napoleonic and American Civil Wars. The WW2 ones were Blitzkreig, Overlord and Stalingrad.
Resurrecting this thread as I'm interested in getting into some war games- but not 'real' war- .something fantasy/swords n sorcery-more like Chaos, which I love.. Any ideas?
I'm gonna try 'Swords of Bane'
It's by Astros - I used to have their 'action dbl' cassette which came with Solar Fire and Nato Assault - both were fairly simple strategy war affairs - not hard to get into - and I lost quite a few hours on them (especially Solar Fire).
I also had 'Dragonia' by that company which was fantastic (but off topic)
If you can think of any others that have swords etc rather than tanks n guns - I might be interested in them... I've played 'Lords of Chaos' quite a bit ... seemed complicated at first, but it really isn't.... I must learn to just read instructions!
Just took a look (although I'm not into the whole ninja stylistics) - looks alright - VERY similar... made by the same folk.
Still looking through things right now...
Is 'Wizard Warz' any good (by GO) ... always liked the look of it when I saw the adverts etc... don't know how to play it though. The WOS listing doesn't have the instructions in English unfortunately. Says on the inlay that it is 'strategy RPG'
I also liked the CCS game "Overlord" . I played that quite a lot: good game
Well I hated it. I found the controls and unpredictability of the unit movement, over a very small front, infuriating. RT Smith reached a perfect peak with Vulcan that he never built on. Ken Wright just kept banging out games based on the same naff engine.
how easy would it be to play a 2 player strategy game by sending the snapshot between 2 players via email?
and wouldnt it be a laff to send a snapshot of Chaos between 6 people
how easy would it be to play a 2 player strategy game by sending the snapshot between 2 players via email?
and wouldnt it be a laff to send a snapshot of Chaos between 6 people
The Spectrum meets online gaming....I'd be up for that ! Be a bit slow - could end up being a move a day or something... but still doable.
how easy would it be to play a 2 player strategy game by sending the snapshot between 2 players via email?
and wouldnt it be a laff to send a snapshot of Chaos between 6 people
Do you know there is a recent emulator to achieve that?.. I havent tried it yet..
Comments
It might have been one of Ken Wright's games. I don't think they were quite as good as R.T. Smith's but he wrote a lot more of them and covered a bunch of different eras such as the Napoleonic and American Civil Wars. The WW2 ones were Blitzkreig, Overlord and Stalingrad.
Later I got a type-in game, Wargame, very addictive and funny. The only problem is that it was written in spanish...
I always thought Rebelstar I and II were great 'crossover' games as a lot of people who werent huge strategy games suddenly loved the Rebelstar series of games. Brilliant they are
I think that Julian Gollop did a huge amount of work on the user interface of his games to make them more accessible to people more accustomed to arcade-style games. Even the likes of Nebula and Rebelstar Raiders were quite playable compared to what else was around at the time, but he really turned the corner with Chaos. When most other strategy games required you to peruse a manual about the size of the Old Testament and no more readable, work things out on a calculator or squared paper whilst you played, and made you type in commands in some weird code, all you need to do with Chaos is move a cursor about and pick things from a menu. Things got even better with the later games to the extent that you can even play Laser Squad entirely with a joystick.
Another game that deserves a mention in this regards is Viking Raiders. Despite being written in BASIC, having a silly theme and looking rather crap, it's got a superb interface that allows you to concentrate on your strategy without getting too bogged down in the game mechanics which are deliberately kept very simple.
.and so it was. thx.
The control method seemed inoovative at the time.
Not strictly fantasy as in swords and sorcery, but features ancient mythology.
It looks totally naff for 1989, but it was a magazine freebie.
There was no 1 player option iirc.
I saw RT Smith's name on some of the Lothlorien games I think it was Confrontation ,but not sure
It's by Astros - I used to have their 'action dbl' cassette which came with Solar Fire and Nato Assault - both were fairly simple strategy war affairs - not hard to get into - and I lost quite a few hours on them (especially Solar Fire).
I also had 'Dragonia' by that company which was fantastic (but off topic)
If you can think of any others that have swords etc rather than tanks n guns - I might be interested in them... I've played 'Lords of Chaos' quite a bit ... seemed complicated at first, but it really isn't.... I must learn to just read instructions!
worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^Swords+of+Bane$&pub=^CCS$&loadpics=3
Just took a look (although I'm not into the whole ninja stylistics) - looks alright - VERY similar... made by the same folk.
Still looking through things right now...
Is 'Wizard Warz' any good (by GO) ... always liked the look of it when I saw the adverts etc... don't know how to play it though. The WOS listing doesn't have the instructions in English unfortunately. Says on the inlay that it is 'strategy RPG'
It does involve some strategy, but to be honest it's a bit sh*t really...
Rebelstar Raiders was good as well
Good choice. I came to suggest that. You might want to crank up your emulator speed slightly.
Well I hated it. I found the controls and unpredictability of the unit movement, over a very small front, infuriating. RT Smith reached a perfect peak with Vulcan that he never built on. Ken Wright just kept banging out games based on the same naff engine.
and wouldnt it be a laff to send a snapshot of Chaos between 6 people
The Spectrum meets online gaming....I'd be up for that ! Be a bit slow - could end up being a move a day or something... but still doable.
Yes I am not sure after all this time
JSpeccy-win32-portable