Battle 1917

Crash

Angus Ryall

FRONTLINES From our correspondent at the front Angus Ryall. Allo mes petits sossions! I was much disappointed by the lack of libel suits, threats against life and limb, etc, resulting from the last FRONTLINE, so this issue I'm going to be tightening up and telling the real truth about some more strategy turkeys. Actually, I must tell you that CRASH has been told that its review of a certain game, should have been upgraded and we have risked losing the advertising from the company that produces it (money we get from advertising pays a large proportion of running costs, so it keeps the cover price down). I'd just like to point out to these cowboys that this kind of petty blackmail produces, if anything, an even more negative approach from writers. It's about time some of these people realised that a reviewer is paid to write what he or she feels about a game, and not what the game producer feels about it. For the record, as I didn't write the review, I've reviewed this particular game again and found myself in agreement with the previous reviewers. You'll have to guess which one it is, but I expect that even those of you with really short memories will get it. And while I'm having a gripe, I spent a knackering couple of days at the PCW show recently, and were there any decent strategy games there? In a word, no. Good old Lothlorien were there, of course, and there was one other excellent strategy game which I can't tell you anything about (ahh, conflict of interest...) but I was very rapidly reduced to discussing the moribund state of the industry with a nubile you cocktailperson in leopardskin shorts. Actually, I can't stand exhibitions you know, but when duty calls... BATTLE 1917 Producer: CCS Retail Price: £5.95 Author: Mark Lucas Well what do you know... Right from the start of Battle 1917 you know you're dealing with a toy. When you ask for instructions, it gets all funny ha- ha with the tank symbols and suchlike. It makes whoopee cushion noises at you. In short, this program treats the user like a favoured, but moronic, grandchild (this does not bode well for the Cambridge Awards jury. Who are they? Are they utterly bold?) The game itself is just a straight battle between two players; each player starts off with a King and 28 units of various types. The problem is that the units are grouped together n fours, and orders can only be given to the group as a whole. This means that as the group gets broken up (as you move diagonally, for example, some units may pass the corner of a lake while others get stuck behind it) you can end up moving three units in the wrong direction just to get a fourth one out from behind a tree. Cannon, the only units that can fire, must all fire in the same direction and for the same range. Whilst the game is very fast moving, a little more thought and time could have produced something with individual or group movement, which would have been miles better. One excellent feature of the game is the directional compass on the map, which gives the key for the direction you need. The graphics are clear, but are pretty juvenile.

Crash

Overall 63%

Producer: C.C.S., 48K £6.00 (2) The program won the 1983 Cambridge Award. It is a unique mix between a conventional wargame and chess, with the board, or war zone, laid out not unlike a chess board. The opposing armies face each other in formalised ranks with the battle area between them. This is full of obstacles like barbed wire, mines, water and forests. Each side has a King, artillery units, tanks, cavalry and infantry units. The object of the game is to capture the opponent's King. The units move as a group, but can be spit up into individuals by the terrain. Each unit has its own characteristics in how much it may move per turn, and what terrain type it may or may not cross. The moves are prompted on screen, so extremely complex wargame instructions are not necessary. If you like wargames, this is quite an original concept with reasonable graphics despite the BASIC. Amusing instructions in the 2-part load. Overall CRASH rating 63%.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Use of Computer 75%

Graphics 54%

Playability 58%

Getting Started 65%

Addictive Qualities 55%

Value For Money 68%

Overall 63%

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Producer: C.C.S. Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.00 Language: Basic Author: Mark Lucas The author, Mark Lucas, won the Cambridge Award for writing this program. The competition is run by C.C.S. in conjunction with the magazine Sinclair User, and the Award plus £1000 goes to the winner, and of course the winner receives the satisfaction of seeing the program marketed. Battle 1917 is likely to prove popular with wargamers and perhaps with chess players too, as there is a resemblance in part. The board, or war zone, is laid out with the opposing forces at the top and bottom of the screen, each side has a King in the centre, protected by artillery and flanked by tanks, cavalry and Infantry. Each unit, except the King, is subdivided into four characters. The characters move as a group, but can easily get split up by the terrain. Each unit also has a fighting strength and a movement allowance. The battlefield, 21 by 32 squares large, is dotted with obstacles like rivers, forests, barbed wire and minefields. Tanks aren't bothered by wire or trees, but cannot go through water. The rest can't go across any obstacle. Minefields have a percentage chance of exploding when contacted. In addition to moving around, the artillery can fire in any of the 8 compass points desired, although extreme short range runs a risk of self destruction since shots may not land on the exact square they are supposed to. A prompt at the bottom of the screen tells each player which piece is to move next and reminds him or her how many squares it can travel and asks for the direction wanted. When one player has moved all his pieces, it is the second player's turn. When units of opposing forces meet, battle ensues and is won or lost by adding a random figure for each, from one to five, to the unit's official fighting strength. The higher figure wins. The aim of the game is to kill off the opponent's king. Directions are inputted using the numeric keys 1 to 8, 1 being North and 8 being North-West. There is an on-screen compass prompt as a quick visual aid. COMMENTS Control keys: 1-8 Colour quite good Graphics: fairly small but recognisable Sound: very little

Chess meets wargame in award-winning Battle 1917.