From: davereed@wam.umd.edu (Michael Robert Bromery)
Subject: Re: New Game Standards***
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 02:05:01 GMT

   Actually, an unsung hero comes to mind when it comes to people who program
our games. I think Microprose should get some good applause for their support
and quite often, cool playability and (usually) compatibility as well. Though
I've heard some bugs with Civilization, I'm glad these makers of some of my
favorite all time games are still with us and growing. I was a BIG Microprose
fan when all I had was a C64. In fact, I bought about every title they released
for the C64 before I got my amiga. If it wasn't Airborne Ranger(Hardly any
arcade soldier combat has yet to really beat this game in terms of realism and
all the fun that comes with the added reality). It could've been F19 to be
one of the coolest flight sims on the C64(Was beaten by both speed and graphics
by a later release by another company I will mention in a sec). It may have
been the countless hours I played in Red storm Rising getting used to reading
sonar displays and maps instead of actually seeing the ships(except when you
hit or sink em) right in front of you like an arcade. This sub simulator gave
you the fun of almost having better sight than real eyes using the high 
sophisticated equipment of a nuclear submarine(Sometimes much better than eyes).
     
         Microprose did realease the most awesome driving simulator to come
and it will still be talked about for nother few years IMHO. But the
neatest thing I believed to be was that these guys are acually LOCAL!!!! Yep
right here in Maryland where so few computer ccompanies hardly try to sell
software(much less make them). I may be wrong for I might just be seeing the
wrong areas, but this place isn't very big on much computer software in my
opinion. I don't even see much on the Machintosh here, which is scary for
America. I would just warn you all to take a peek at the Gunship 2000 and see
(more so feel) how it plays. The december Issue of Amiga Format kind of got
me excited into buying yet(another) Microprose game.  I hear the graphics are
pretty ok here, maybe not the VGA style, but much the graphic flavor of the
Steel talons arcade game(without all the neat sky backgrounds of the arcade).
But more importanly, you can believe it will play up to standards. These guys
have no problem when they do it with thier C64 conversions. 


   --- Ok, being this is a long post, I will mention the ccompany that beat
Miccroprose for speed and graphics in a flight-like simulation. You'll never guess
   that Origin(yes the Ultima --- Origin) came up with one of the fastest 3D
dithered polygon space flight combat simulator/fantasy role playing games to
come. The name of the game is Space Rogue. The gist of it is that it not
only combines the Space flight simulator with ultima style system when you
are aboard space stations. You can customize your ship, you can make money in
many different ways, even become a merchant. Your actions will determine how
different folks feel about you and your basic job is established by how you
act. The space flight was AWESOME and the 3d polygon flight was fast, furious,
and amazing with speed on the C64. It still has to rank as one of the best
games of all time(trying to compete in at least 3 different departments of
gameplay at the same time-- competing well enough to worry the games that
are well made just for 1 of them. In a way, it is a shame that assembly code
is a thing of the past with them for I would love to see what one could do 
with an Origin game nowadays in Assembly for the amiga. Space combat?? Sure
heck of a lot of it in Space Rogue -- it's a way of life. The only thing
wrong with Space Rogue was that the universe for the game was too small. The
game made a person thrist for more worlds once they reach the ends.

 --- Mike Bromery
   Email: davereed@wam.umd.edu

      ------- Sigs?????? Sigs????? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' SIGS!!!!! -------

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