Game by EMPIRE INTERACTIVE.

Fun. Enjoyable. Frustrating. Absorbing. Excellent value for money. End of review must get back to playing the game!

Age of Sail deserves a little more than that first paragraph, although that is a fair reflection of not only my experiences but also those of Craig Ambler who also got the game just before the festive season. My naval wargaming to date has been a few games of Limeys and Slimeys in 15mm plus uncountable 1/200th Ancient galley encounters, all done on table top. Age of Sail was my first go at a naval computer game and I must admit I am hooked! Easy to install with a 44 page Players guide plus Quick Start Instructions is just what I am looking for in a game.

No hours of reading new rules prior to the first battle for me; just install and Tally Oh! Age of Sail was designed with me and others like me in mind, for which I'm grateful.

Playing the game is simple in that one can choose one of 105 scenarios of which 4 are training ones (I recommend doing these), one is fictitious and the remaining 100 are historical encounters with a short brief given, which not only nicely sets the scene and gives you a "feel" for what is about to happen but also can be somewhat misleading! But that you'll have to discover for yourself. The scenarios run from Trafalgar with 61 ships involved to 1:1 encounters.

Another alternative is to play a Campaign game in one of three historic periods, which you choose, and you start as an Ensign in charge of small ship with only say 12 guns a side plus a crew that is both few in number and lacking in experience. As you capture or sink enemy vessels you get promoted both in rank and in the size of ship you command. My best to date after a Campaign (only my second one) lasting of 46 encounters, is Captain but time allowing and my increased experience should better that in the future.

For those with the inclination and equipment Age of Sail can be played by Modem, but please do not contact me for a game because I am really enjoying playing this solo. If this is not enough there is also a Scenario Editor in which you can create your own games; I have not progressed that far yet.

On Screen

On screen. The most used icons I found were the "Speed", "Zoom", "Turn" and "Ammunition" ones. There are 25 buttons on the top of the screen and if you find your cursor is getting dizzy dashing between them then hit the "Speed" button and slow the game down! Once the game has loaded and a ship is sitting in the middle of your screen, I stop the action, zoom out to find out where the enemy is and note the wind direction. I then click on my own ship(s) and then on the enemy one or if there is more than one on the leading enemy vessel.

Having got this information I then go to my leading ship and start the game. The speed will be "Normal" so you have time to carryout essential actions, namely putting your ship(s) on automatic "Fire", which means that it will fire at any enemy ship that come in range. Next bring into operation the "Gun Range" which appears as a set of wings (The Wings of Death) on either side of the ship.

A quick look at the enemy heading, compare their speed with yours, keeping one eye on the wind direction, and mentally compute the angle of approach you will need to get into combat. With your guns automatically firing one can concentrate on sailing the ship, which includes setting the correct sails, initiating turns which can be for squadrons/fleets or for individual ships and plotting a course which will give your guns maximum use and the enemy minimal use of theirs. With my afore mention limited naval knowledge I came up with the great idea of knocking down the enemy masts/sails with chain shot and then raking them with grape. See I'm picking up the jargon. Keep an eye on the enemy's manoeuvres.

This system worked well until I discussed it with Craig, who is more knowledgeable then me on these matters, and was informed that that was "The French way"(Oops!). The English used round shot to batter their enemy and then boarded! So suitably chastised I tried it the English way and was not surprised to lose my next 1:1 battle during which I lost all my masts and the enemy got into a position where he (or is it she?) could fire and I could not. Then the light dawned and I realised how to use the English system and victory came my way.

View of Battle

The view of the battle can go from seeing different coloured small squares on the screen which gives the overall picture of the encounter and is essential in games with more than one ship per side, to close up of individual ships. Don't quote me on this but I am sure it is possible to make out the grain on the planking of the vessel in question! The artwork/graphics are spectacular. The ships actually "sail", with their sails set at the correct angle for the wind direction, showing the correct amount of sail for the setting chosen (Full, Battle or None), and once damage begins to occur then holes appear and the sails become ragged. National and squadron flags fly from the mastheads and it is advisable to keep an eye on them because they give the wind direction in accordance with the ship's heading and if a white one is showing then that ship has surrendered.

This is instantly noticeable even by me in a 1:1 encounter but in a battle with some 61 ships involved things get a little confusing and when one spots a ship not firing at an enemy then click on it. Its picture and statistics will appear showing undoubtedly the white flag. See what happens when you right click on the statistics graphics. I am constantly zooming in and out during a game which gives a realistic view of the battle combined with the background music and sound effects to keep one mentally awake. It is really absorbing and both real and "3D Real-Time" fly.

Real Time

The "Real-Time" confused me at first because during my first Stern Chase (which is where the Frustration, come from) I received a message stating that no action had taken place for 30 mins! In GMT it was only about 4 minutes, so deep confusion until I referred to the clock on the screen as "Game Time" and now I can happily play on. A quick word on Stern Chases. They are undoubtedly historical and I would be grateful if anyone can give me a tip on how to catch a ship that is doing 2 knots more than yours and starts well out of round shot range! I will pass it onto Craig.

On realising I am in a Stern Chase situation I put the speed on Fastest and wait for the 30 mins Game Time message then quit. This is my only gripe with the game and I know it is historical but I would have preferred to get in just a couple of shots and possibly knock down a mast, thus slowing him down before he disappears over the horizon.

The User Guide is one of the best I have come across. Usually in these type of books the screen grabs showing icons etc have very poor definition and are accordingly difficult to decipher. Not in this case in which there is extreme clarity which I hope will set the standard for the future. I would have liked a little more information on playing the Campaign games namely what the rank structure for promotion was and the scores needed to achieve it.

There is a very useful Appendix on "Terms and Definitions ", and I would have liked to see a breakdown of vessels by their guns i.e. a sloop has "X" amount of guns, a frigate "Y" amount and so on. Still there is that thing that wargamers used to do in days of yore called Research.

There is a multitude of stuff I have not got room to cover in this review. This is a game that I will play again and again because there is such a variety of battles available ranging from 1:1 games that can last for 5 - 10 minutes (GMT) to those ones which can last for hours. I feel I have barely scratched the surface of the potential of this game and look forward to many more hours of enjoyment.

Using the same AI I hope that Empire Interactive move onto games set in the Ancient period with Roman and Carthaginian galleys clashing or even the Renaissance period when the mighty Turks fought the Knights of Rhodes/Malta, also in galleys but with cannons on board. Visions of lumbering sailing ships being protected by fast war galleys who are engaging attacking pirates spring to mind. In Age of Sail all the action takes place on the high seas, for which I'm extremely grateful, but the inclusion of coastlines and ports would really make players sharpen their sailing skills! Speaks the author of many a collision, which happen to be very noisy and realistic.

You will gather from the above that I am really taken with this game. Should you require any more information or tips, from my limited experience, then please feel free to contact me. Must now cast off and sweep our enemies from the seas!