From: dpipes@spica.srg (Dave Pipes x4552)
Subject: Re: V for Victory (by Three-Sixty) 
Organization: just me
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 92 12:53:42 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games

In article <1992Oct15.045627.28582@netcom.com> hchong@netcom.com (Hoi Chong) writes:
>I got it.  The new game from Three-Sixty (Land Harpoon?)
>
>First of all, very very expansive.  $57 from Electronic Bontique.

You can find it for less.  Sherlock Holmes, Rex nebular, GNBNA - all of these
are up around the same price.  Oh well.
>
>On first sight, it looks as slick as Patton Strikes Back's 640x480 graphics.  
>V4V (V for Victory) claims to use Super VGA.  It comes with VGA card drivers
>for:
>
>APPIAN   EXE      2648 07-30-91  12:49p
>ATI      COM      3736 05-15-90  11:56a
>CHIPS    COM      1682 04-16-90   2:42p
>CIRRUS   COM      3711 02-19-91  11:38a
>EVEREX   COM      4207 01-30-90   2:28p
>GENOA    COM      2873 11-08-91  11:12a
>OAK-37   COM      1351 01-21-91   4:28p
>OAK-77   COM      1530 04-22-92   3:03p
>ORCHDVSA COM      4754 07-25-91  10:00a
>PARADISE EXE      1942 02-25-91   9:37a
>SIGMA    COM      1279 09-18-90  12:00p
>STB      COM      2781 03-20-91   9:07a
>TECMAR   COM      2388 04-18-90   6:15p
>TRIDENT  EXE     10155 12-07-90   9:14p
>TSENG    COM      4080 08-20-91   8:20p
>V7VESA   COM      3456 03-31-92  10:56a
>V7WVGA   COM      3493 08-17-92   1:08p
>
>But I think it uses only 640x480x256 color.  Darn, I was hoping for
>1024x768.

These are VESA Super VGA drivers.  I can look up the exact resolution.  The
game is visually very crisp and good-looking, at least on my .28 dp monitor
with an OAK SVGA card.  It WILL NOT RUN under standard VGA, I am told.
>
>It is basically a hex game.  You assign the moves and then press "End Turn".
>Darn, I was hoping for real time like Harpoon or Command HQ.

It is not advertised as realtime.  It *is* simultaneous movement and
combat.  This is a feature of really good boardgames.  The hexgrid is
removable, but of course the hexes are still there.
>
>It comes only with one 1.4meg diskette.  Darn, for $57 I was expecting
>10 diskettes.  IMHO the more diskettes there are, the more interesting
>the game is more likely to be.

I think it comes with 2 1.2 Meg diskettes.  Shoulda bought that version!
Well, it will get more interesting.  Modules are planned for Velikiye Luki,
North Africa, the Pacific and the American Civil War.  More disks, more fun!
:-)
>
>The units looks like those war boardgame pieces.  Darn, I thought those
>writers of boardgames will stick to their turf and leave computer games
>to people who take advantage of computers -- realtime, 1024x768, no "hex"
>limitation, modem/network link, animation, etc.

Okay, this is the real "complaint".  I said it before and I'll say it again:
this is a computerized boardgame, like the ones SSI and SimCan do, only much
much *much* better.  It's purpose is to provide a reasonable opponent for
boardgame types in a classical boardgame setting.  The use of the computer
allows for the use of much larger odds tables, better supply rules, double
blind play, tons of detail which would be unmanageable in a regular board
game.  The research they put in, and the methods they use to balance the
game are very good.  Because of the audience, you will not find realtime,
loss of hexes, animation in the game.  (That's like complaining that their
are no hexes in Darklands - "But I thought it was gonna be like an AD&D
module!)  :-)  Modem play is promised for Velikiye Luki.  And the last?
Hah!  Show me a 1024x768 game!  And not some wimpy Windows 3.0 Solitaire,
either!

>Still, I will keep the game, since I believe that returning a game is
>worse than piracy -- rendering a product unsellable-as-new and costing
>money for the stores like Electronic Bontique.

What?  This is weird.  Return it if you don't want it.  Or sell it.
>
>Hopefully someone else who likes (ugh!) hex games like Perfect General
>can give a real and positive review. 

This is nothing like the Perfect General.  Far far better.  Basically, if
you like board wargames, it is for you.  If not, you'll agree with Hoi 
Chong.  Simple, no?  BTW, Patriot will be realtime, no hexes, also SVGA -
I think that is what you want, Mr. Hoi.

Oh, and it is 99.9 percent bug free.  This is *remarkable* for 360, but then
TOW was pretty durable too.  Maybe their quality control is getting better.
(Important Safety Tip - If your supply is low, don't assign minimal supply
to the VIIth Corps, it will crash.  Only bug we've found in 100+ hours :-).

	David Pipes
robear@digex.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games