Was it something I said? Maybe its the fact that this is the thirteenth corner I have written which has something to do with the scarcity of reviews [two] and the dearth of snippets [two] in this edition. Hopefully this is not the case and you are all very busy playing games which will result in me being deluged with reviews for the next edition, I can but hope. You may just have noticed that the corner didn't even appear in LW120 but as Kenn always says 'I can only print what gets sent in'. [Oh, so true!]
I have not played any computer games of late, most of my hobby time being spent with my miniatures and a new rule set PIQUET by Bob Jones. I have still managed to trawl through my mail though and found a few items which may be of interest to you and should be on the streets by late 1997 or early 1998.
My thanks to Andy 'Flight Sim' Midgely for the following two snippets:
PANZER GENERAL 98 by SSI published by Mindscape. The successor to the highly acclaimed 'Panzer General' will be available around Christmas {surprise, surprise}. Thought this would interest you since as you were impressed by the first version. This one is said to contain an improved AI {Artificial Intelligence}, better campaigns including mini campaigns with the option of playing the Allies. Enhancements include ranged fire for the heavy stuff, ambushes and 'what if' scenarios. Basically its the same design engine, tweaked and improved and if you want more details then try 'http://www.ssionline.com' or keep an eye out in the gaming magazines.
ACHTUNG SPITFIRE by Avalon Hill published by Eidos. I thought this was pure flight simulator but it ain't. This is really an attempt to combine turn strategy and real-time tactics in a single package which seems to be catching on. First you have to devise the intercept of German squadrons highlighted by the new Radar you have which in effect is the turn based bit. Then you launch into tactical mode where you are operating much in the mode of 'Over The Reich' real-time. The blurb mentions the fact that you can play British, French or German with an email option. I reckon it will require some new skills as these are 1940 aircraft and you need different tactics to survive and thrive. Must be worth a look at least, specially as it is a different approach by Avalon [maybe a first for them in terms of email option - I think].
SID MEIER'S GETTYSBURG by Firaxis published by Electronic Arts. This is obviously an ACW game which is why it attracted my attention. The name Sid Meier usually conjures up thoughts of Civilisation, Pirates, Civ II, F-19 Stealth Fighter and so on. This designer/programmer has always done the job according to his own edicts and a true feel for what the public want. To date sales of his games must be in millions. Now Sid has chosen to turn his talents on Gettysburg. If you are looking for state of the art high tech glitz needing masses of PC power then stop now because this game is not for you. On the other hand if you like excellent game-play, fancy operating in real-time then this could be it. It is serious gaming with plausible 'What ifs', a sophisticated combat engine, with historical feel thrown in. It probably will not be the most detailed tactical simulation you have played but I would bet it will play extremely well, most of Sid's games have up to now. I for one will be putting this very high on my list to Santa Claus. For the WWII fans out there Christmas looks like being a bumper year with four games hitting the streets around the same time. Panzer General I have already mentioned but SSI are releasing Steel Panthers 3 as well which allows you to fight actions from 1938 to 1998. Talonsoft are releasing Eastern Front which I have mentioned previously in this column. [The flyer look great, but when will this firm get around to Feudal Samurai? At time of writing the following Talonsoft games out being reviewed, it does take time you know to do it right; Bull Run and Prelude to Waterloo. Had a go at Bull Run 1 & 2 and in the later case it should have been Close Run never mind the Bull! Not my period but an excellent game. [ A full review will be in Lone Warrior 122. Kenn]
CLOSE COMBAT 2 - Operation Market Garden by Atomic published by Microsoft. This game makes up the quartet. The developers are Atomic who have always had an excellent reputation and the flyers I have seen suggest that it should be excellent. It is real-time just like its predecessor operating at small unit tactical level combat. You can play either the Allies or the Germans and have options for parachute, glider actions, tank and infantry combined arms, heroic last stands, you can try them all. The level of detail has been enhanced and the map scale is bigger plus if you try something plainly insane it will actually tell you. It even has battlefield clutter in shape of corpses which is adding some realism assuming of course they do impede and disrupt your progress [One for the editor who always complains about their omission from the rules].
Again I have not bothered to mention the games which are being re-released, upgraded for operation under Windows 95 as the additions to the originals is really not that significant. Nor have I mentioned any of the Command and Conquer clones, my estimate is 53 so far and I probably missed some.
If you have news, views or just snippets of news on strategy wargames then let me know and send it in any format you like. Remember that I only really cover the periods that I play simply because they are what catch my eye. Any news on Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Ancients etc. would certainly give the column a better spread and may even appeal to more members. Happy Soloing, Graham.
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