117 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
117 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
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ROMMEL: BATTLES FOR NORTH AFRICA
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ROMMEL: BATTLES FOR NORTH AFRICA, published by Strategic Studies Group of
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Australia and distributed by Electronic Arts, is a tactical desert-warfare
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simulation from Roger Keating and Ian Trout. Mark Holman, Phil Niven, and David
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Freer worked on the scenarios. This review is based on the Commodore 64/128
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version; Apple // version notes follow.
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Other than a bogus glitch in the tutorial of an otherwise excellent instruction
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manual, ROMMEL is yet another in a continuing series of "easy to learn, tough to
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master" wargame simulations from SSG and the Keating/Trout design team. The game
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features eight scenarios (including a hypothetical Invasion of Malta); SSG's
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slick, easy-to-use, menu-driven game control (based on the play system that
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first appeared in BATTLEFRONT); Warplan, for scenario design; and Warpaint, for
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design and color control of the icon and terrain symbols.
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The C64 screen display consists of a scrolling map constructed of hexagons; the
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ground scale is approximately 1 kilometer per hex. Icons represent the various
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terrain features, such as ocean, foothills, cities, towns and villages, salt
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marshes, and cultivated areas; icons also denote the various battalions and
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items, including three types of infantry, artillery and assault weapons, mines,
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parachutes, armor, and cavalry. The screen maps of the eight scenarios can be
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viewed off-screen on a large, glossy, four-color map, which is included in the
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game package.
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Like all SSG simulations, ROMMEL uses the gameplay system that first appeared
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in BATTLEFRONT; like all SSG simulations after BATTLEFRONT, this gameplay system
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-- although essentially identical to its predecessors -- has been modified to
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reflect scenario differences more accurately. Regardless of these modifications,
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play remains the same: All activities in ROMMEL are accomplished through a
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series of interconnected menus. You can escape from each menu by pressing a
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function key; orders can be aborted and redone (RUN 5, which starts the
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simulation, is the sole exception).
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The ROMMEL system allows complete control of all aspects of play: Forces can be
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studied and orders given; the whole map can be scrutinized for terrain features,
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communications, objectives, and units of both sides. The C64's arrow keys cycle
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through a menu's choices, highlighting each in turn; selections are made with
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the RETURN key. As noted earlier, a function key lets you exit from the current
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menu and return to the previous menu -- a process which can be continued back to
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the Game Master menu.
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Once you've studied all the reports and given all the orders, RUN 5 sets the
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simulation into motion. A battle turn is fought, movements are performed by the
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computer, the results (in terms of victory points) are tallied and shown, and a
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new turn begins.
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Major or minor handicaps are available to either Axis or Allied forces, which
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is a way of altering the historical aspect of a given scenario. Should you
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desire to observe and study rather than play, the computer can be set to run
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both sides.
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Warplan is a series of Scenario Design menus with which you can alter an
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existing scenario, either on your own or through the use of information provided
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in SSG's wargaming magazine, RUN 5. An entirely new scenario can be designed
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from the ground up, i.e., right from the size and terrain of the hexagonal map.
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Intimately tied to Warplan is Warpaint, a graphics/color editor for altering
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the icons used in ROMMEL. The icons from one scenario can be transferred and
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stored in another scenario; they can be altered and saved, or cleared and
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forgotten.
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The Save-Game menu is used to format save-game and save-scenario disks. It also
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lets you save and reload games in progress, save altered/new scenarios, and save
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new or altered icons created with Warpaint.
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The ROMMEL game package consists of the game disk, a pair of menu cards, a
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scenario map, and save-game labels. The instruction manual is utterly clear and
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complete, with this exception: The first turn of the Tebourga Gap scenario, as
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it's presented in the tutorial, is out of whack. The manual states that the
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scenario begins on turn 2 of 11 turns; the screen shows that it's turn 3 of 11.
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Subsequent manual information is in no way consistent with what's happening on
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the screen.
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Whether or not you're familiar with SSG simulations, this won't be a major
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problem. The tutorial itself, as it takes you through the turn, is accurate,
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even if the results of the turn aren't.
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RUN 5, SSG's quarterly magazine for wargamers, is loaded with information, as
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well as new scenarios. Using the magazine in conjunction with Warplan and
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Warpaint leads to a better understanding of SSG game design.
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ROMMEL: BATTLES FOR NORTH AFRICA is a fine game, and a worthy addition to SSG's
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ever-increasing lineup of excellent products. The menu-driven play system is as
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easy to learn as ever, and everything works perfectly. Warplan is complicated in
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the handling of scenario information, but it is also as simple to use as the
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gameplay system. Warpaint is just plain fun.
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Another good one from the boys down under.
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APPLE // VERSION NOTES
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The Apple // version of ROMMEL is all but identical to its C64 counterpart.
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Having reviewed nearly all SSG war simulations, I didn't think it was possible
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for me to encounter a problem. Needless to report, perfection remains elusive,
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even in the computer world.
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The Apple // version of an SSG simulation allows the user to make one backup
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copy of the master game disk. Once this has been done, the option is no longer
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accessible, which I'd say is reasonably fair. Unfortunately, the Backup Master
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routine of ROMMEL turned out to be a dismal failure.
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Furthermore, the scenarios can be backed up any number of times: again, a
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dismal performance. After three tries I gave up. SSG reliability makes me think
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I came across a disk with a bum routine.
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Since backup copies are alien to me, not having any for the Apple isn't so
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horrible.
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In any case, ROMMEL for the Apple // plays just fine.
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ROMMEL: BATTLES IN NORTH AFRICA is published by Strategic Studies Group and
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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