74 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
74 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
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MACARTHUR'S WAR
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MACARTHUR'S WAR: BATTLES FOR KOREA is a wargame simulation written by Roger
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Keating, Ian Trout, and Dan Antolec, published by Strategic Studies Group, and
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distributed by Electronic Arts. Mr. Antolec's many contributions to SSG's RUN 5
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magazine caught the attention of the Keating-Trout design team, and SSG gave Mr.
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Antolec the opportunity to create the battle scenarios of MACARTHUR'S WAR. MW
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offers eight scenarios, a revised (but still compatible) version of SSG's
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BATTLEFRONT play system, decent graphics, the Warplan construction set, the
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Warpaint icon editor, and partial copy protection. The Apple II version is the
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basis of this review.
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The eight scenarios of MW take place during the first year of the Korean
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conflict: Across The 38th (Parallel), Taejon, Naktong Bulge, Unsan, Chongchon,
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Chosin Reservoir, Chipyong, and Imjin. You can play either side against a
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computer or human opponent, or watch the computer play itself, an option useful
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for testing new or altered scenarios. Either or both combatants can be given an
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advantage, and a tutorial in the manual walks you through the first turn of the
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Imjin scenario.
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The Apple II screen display consists of a scrolling, 39x28 hexagonal map; the
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scale is different in each scenario, and an entire map can cover anywhere from
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less than one mile to five miles. Icons indicate the terrain features: swamps,
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rivers, rice paddies, foothills, mountains, lowlands, towns, villages,
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airstrips, bridges, and prohibited zones.
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Play is controlled by way of a series of interconnected menus. The arrow keys
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cycle through menu options; the Return key selects; and the Escape key will step
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you back through all menus. Although this comprehensive and easy-to-use system
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has undergone alterations and enhancements to accomodate subsequent simulations,
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it is essentially identical to the system that first appeared in BATTLEFRONT.
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Indeed, if you've already played BATTLEFRONT, BATTLES IN NORMANDY, HALLS OF
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MONTEZUMA, or ROMMEL, you'll have no trouble playing MACARTHUR'S WAR.
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Through the menus, you'll be able to study various reports concerning the
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objectives of a scenario, as well as the condition of your troops; you can walk
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around the map, examine objectives, allocate support, move your headquarters,
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and of course, give orders to your divisions. Orders can be aborted or changed,
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games in progress can be saved, and you can back out of any menu except Run 5:
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This option runs the simulation. Combat ensues, after which reports can be read.
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When you're finished with the last report, the movement routines are activated;
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when the movement routines are complete, the turn ends.
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Warplan is the construction set, a standard feature on all SSG simulations;
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with it, you can alter any of the historical scenarios, create new scenarios, or
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use the scenario information that appears in RUN 5, SSG's magazine for
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wargamers. A new scenario can be created upwards from the size and terrain
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features of the map. Regardless of the changes and enhancements SSG has made to
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the original BATTLEFRONT system, everything remains compatible.
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Warpaint is a graphics editor, which can be used to borrow old, alter existing,
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or create new unit and terrain icons. Then again, the concept of "Apple
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graphics" is ridiculous, and not even Warpaint, which is a nifty feature, can do
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much to change it.
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Partial copy protection means you can make one backup of the program disk
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(after which the option is no longer available), and unlimited backups of the
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scenario disk. The graphics are no more than decent because this is the Apple
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version. The scenarios themselves are of the usual high SSG standards, and
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MACARTHUR'S WAR is a fine simulation from designers who know what they're doing.
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Graphically, an icon or hexagon-based simulation map is difficult to screw up;
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Apple map screens come close, but here they are understandable. Besides, Dan
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Antolec's finely-detailed scenarios and SSG's easy-to-use play system, combined
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with overall smooth operation, reduces the pain of having to look at the Apple's
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graphic screens. MACARTHUR'S WAR is a solid effort.
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MACARTHUR'S WAR: BATTLES FOR KOREA is published by Strategic Studies Group and
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distributed by Electronic Arts.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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