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When PS 2 gets here it will give people what they really want: brilliant games and graphics and no hassle. PC's are just too awkward for the uninitiated. Their only selling point before was their power. The next generation consoles will make this difference tiny. No wonder Bill Gates wants to make a console!
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Most every contemporary religion praises the virtues of an omnipotent deity. God always seems to be this swell guy, er, girl, er thing, this all-powerful, all-wise presence brimming with integrity and righteousness. Sure, we need to fear God, but that's mainly because God is perfect, while we are flawed.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
Most every contemporary religion praises the virtues of an omnipotent deity. God always seems to be this swell guy, er, girl, er thing, this all-powerful, all-wise presence brimming with integrity and righteousness. Sure, we need to fear God, but that's mainly because God is perfect, while we are flawed.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
Most every contemporary religion praises the virtues of an omnipotent deity. God always seems to be this swell guy, er, girl, er thing, this all-powerful, all-wise presence brimming with integrity and righteousness. Sure, we need to fear God, but that's mainly because God is perfect, while we are flawed.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
But as we all know by now, power is the stuff that drives good things bad. Give a man a gun and he becomes a threat; take that gun away and he becomes a victim. So isn't it a bit brazen of us to assume that God is a gentle giant? I mean really, omniscience is one heavy drug, and who's to say that the man upstairs isn't an addict?
Spiritual tirades aside, the question of morality is one for the ages. It is a well-documented fact that good and evil cannot exist without one another...until now.
Black and White attempts to answer the question of divine ethics by making you a god. Not just an ordinary, regular, run-of the-mill video game deity, but the actual almighty him/her/it self.
The brainchild of legendary game designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, anyone?), Black and White presents a unique and original take on the strategy god-sim by blending two distinct gameplay mechanics into a seamless whole. The result could be one of the most stunning experiences in the history of computer gaming.
The game is set in the fantastical realm of Eden, a fully 3D world that acts as your canvas. Your godly power is derived from your minions, the villagers of your tribe. They are your mana source, your resource pool, and ultimately, your guinea pigs to protect or destroy.
The game's 3D engine is nothing short of breathtaking, with absolutely gorgeous textures and brilliant lighting effects. You can zoom in to watch the action up close, or pull out to gaze upon Eden from space. With dead-on physics modeling, Eden is an eerily real playground.
Black and White follows a three-book story that will present the gamer with dozens of challenges and ethical crossroads. For instance, a worshipper has lost her brother in the woods and pleads for your mercy and aid. Do you help the woman by rescuing the brother, or kill the scurrilous peon for having the gall to ask a personal favor? Grab the brother and drag him back to the woman's home. Or just drop a boulder on her head and wash your hands of the whole mess. The choice, and the manner of its undertaking, is up to you.
Battling adversarial deities is paramount to your success, and over the course of the game (and especially in multi-player), you'll encounter other gods. To maintain power, you must both protect your worshippers and vanquish your enemy.
From fireballs and lightning storms to benevolent healing spells, magic plays a key role in your heavenly rule. Incorporating a unique 'gesture' system, spells can be made more powerful by specific mouse initiated movements. It actually looks like you're casting!
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Black and White is the role of the 'creature,' a special unit that acts as your physical manifestation on Eden. Over time, the creature will grow from a normal sized unit into a towering titan. The creature learns from your actions; do good deeds and the creature will behave like a teddy bear; act like Satan and the creature will morph into a hideous monster. And like life, there is a plethora of shades in-between.
Your creature can be taught to fight as well, which comes in handy when it meets other gods' creatures. With amazing hit detection and persistence (battle scars, baby), the details are incredible. If you thought Godzilla Vs. King Kong was cool, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I just can't say enough about the originality and ingenuity of Black and White. It breaks through the mold and captures the essence of revolutionary design. Barring any serious development problems, this looks to be an absolute must-have for the PC gamer.
-+-+-+- Age Of Empires -+-+-+-
MEDUSA - Changes villagers to various objects
DIEDIEDIE - You all die
RESIGN - You resign
REVEAL MAP - Reveals all the map
PEPPERONI PIZZA - Gives yourself 1000 food
COINAGE - Gives yourself 1000 gold
WOODSTOCK - Gives yourself 1000 wood
QUARRY - Gives yourself 1000 stone
NO FOG - Remove the fog-of-war
HARI KARI - Suicide
PHOTON MAN - Get A Nuke Trooper
GAIA - Control The Animals
FLYING DUTCHMAN - Juggernaughts turn into the Flying Dutchman
STEROIDS - Instant Build
HOME RUN - Win The Scenario
KILLX - Where 'X' Is The Players Position
BIGDADDY - Get A Cool Car
CTRL-Q -Faster Building
CRTL-G - 1000 gold
CRTL-W - 1000 tree
CRTL-S - 1000 stone
CRTL-F - 1000 food
-+-+-+- Age of Empires: Rise of Rome -+-+-+-
Type these in a chat box:
king arthur - changes birds into dragons
grantlinkspence - turns animals into Animal Kings
pow big mamma - new unit: BabyPrez
convert this! - new priest unit
stormbilly - get a sci-fi robot
Note: You may also use AOE codes.
MEDUSA - Changes villagers to various objects
DIEDIEDIE - You all die
RESIGN - You resign
REVEAL MAP - Reveals all the map
PEPPERONI PIZZA - Gives yourself 1000 food
COINAGE - Gives yourself 1000 gold
WOODSTOCK - Gives yourself 1000 wood
QUARRY - Gives yourself 1000 stone
NO FOG - Remove the fog-of-war
HARI KARI - Suicide
PHOTON MAN - Get A Nuke Trooper
GAIA - Control The Animals
FLYING DUTCHMAN - Juggernaughts turn into the Flying Dutchman
STEROIDS - Instant Build
HOME RUN - Win The Scenario
KILLX - Where 'X' Is The Players Position
BIGDADDY - Get A Cool Car
CTRL-Q -Faster Building
CRTL-G - 1000 gold
CRTL-W - 1000 tree
CRTL-S - 1000 stone
CRTL-F - 1000 food
-+-+-+- Age of Empires: Rise of Rome -+-+-+-
Type these in a chat box:
king arthur - changes birds into dragons
grantlinkspence - turns animals into Animal Kings
pow big mamma - new unit: BabyPrez
convert this! - new priest unit
stormbilly - get a sci-fi robot
Note: You may also use AOE codes.
What does everyone think about playing Quake this way: one hand moves the character and does the general action gubbins, and the other hand holds a light gun, and actually fires at enemies that you can see on screen! Is this just a stupid idea, or could it actually be done? I think the Quake style of game has got a bit stale now, apart from better graphics and a few minimal changes nothing has really changed from the original Wolfenstein. Doe sanyone else share this way of thinking, or am i just lost in a sea of Quakers?
Railroad tycoon II
In an industry now thriving on "me too" games, it defies belief that there have been so few previous entries in the "build and manage" genre started by the original Railroad Tycoon. At least half of these have come from Maxis.
Railroad Tycoon II by PopTop Software puts you in charge of a vast railroad empire in the persona of one of the legendary tycoons or government figures of the day. The train and station limits from Railroad Tycoon are gone. You can build stations and buy trains to your heart's content without bumping into an artificial limit. To the best of my knowledge, no one has exceeded the train/station limit, if there is one, relieving one of the most frustrating features of the original Railroad Tycoon when playing on large maps.
There is an amazing number of maps. There are 12 stand-alone maps plus over a dozen different maps in the campaign scenarios. Along with multiple maps of North America and Europe are maps of China, South America, India, Australia, and Japan. Russia is the only major area of the globe not covered by the game in some fashion. Given the complete flexibility of the editor and the easy import of graphic files, user maps and scenarios are popping up on the Web almost daily. The game includes one 18-scenario campaign, but more can be created using the editor.
The graphics are wonderful. At high levels of zoom the trains look photo-realistic. As time passes, the various cars (passenger, mail, coal, etc.) change their appearance to match the era. Stations have architectural styles to match the geographic area. Smoke belches from the engines, trails from homes, shoots out of steel mills. Visually, trains remain straight and level instead of following the track uphill or around a tight curve, which takes some getting used to, but watching a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy running at full steam is a glorious experience.
The sound effects are equally stunning. Each structure has its own sound set. Zoom in to hear the cattle lowing at a ranch; zoom out and the sounds blend together from different buildings giving each region a distinctive personality. Train crashes sound appropriately apocalyptic. Sell some stock and a chorus of voices echoes your actions. The music is good enough to stand on its own, and there is a lot of it, though unfortunately it is all North American in style and spirit. Hearing a lonesome harmonica wail while running the British (rail) Empire is a bit off-putting.
The manual does an adequate job of explaining most of the details and concepts of the game, but there are annoying lapses. Gone are the train descriptions of Railroad Tycoon II's ancestor. Instead we get a bare list of trains according to their availability. On the other hand, a large foldout full-color cardboard playing aid shows all the cars, with full details on their weights in different periods, an industry flowchart with all the interrelationships depicted, and lists of buildings, station improvements, and hotkeys.
The train model has been simplified to some extent. There are no signal towers, though you can set the priority of a train (express, normal, slow, and stop) and tell it to go, wait until half full, or wait until full of cargo. You cannot drop off cargo at one station to be picked up by another train; one of the few steps back from Railroad Tycoon.
The business model is much more complex than Railroad Tycoon. When playing in expert mode you can buy on margin or sell short, giving you and the computer players all the tools to be all the ruthless robber baron you can be.
If business bores you, you can turn off some or all of the economic model. In addition to three canned difficulty levels, you can mix and match to create your own custom difficulty settings. Or chuck the whole thing, load a map, and play in "sandbox" mode where the only restriction is your imagination.
While Railroad Tycoon II is a real-time game, as was the original, you can pause the game at any time and continue to work in the game. This is especially recommended when manipulating stock; the computer players are ruthless and will gut you if given the chance. It is as easy to gain or lose a fortune in Railroad Tycoon II as it was in the golden age of robber barons.
Competing with other railroads is more indirect than in Railroad Tycoon. There are no rate wars. Instead, you can run trains on other railroads' tracks and use their stations, and they can use yours. For this privilege you pay a hefty price that can exceed the actual return, if your stay on their lines is long enough. The computer players manage their rail lines adequately though not on par with a good human player.
To do dirt to other railroads you have to wage war on the stock market, and this is where the computer players shine. They are as heartless, cunning, and devious as any of their real-life namesakes. If you become heavily margined trying to secure your own stock, the computer player may, depending on their personality (beware of J. P. Morgan), dump your stock, even selling it short.
The various displays for trains, cargo, stations, and your company make setting up and managing a railroad much easier than before. The map supports multiple levels of zoom, and you can toggle on and off different cargoes' supply/demand, train grades, station displays (having these available on the map makes setting up new routes much easier), and other features that are legible at all zoom levels.
Real life also intrudes more than it used to. Wars, international borders, and economic events have to be dealt with and aren't the pro forma nuisance notices they were in Railroad Tycoon. To run trains through several countries requires obtaining the rights (read: mucho dinero).
There are more than 60 trains and 31 different cargoes as well as a dining car and caboose. There are three station sizes, and the station orientation can be hard-set to one of eight choices or left to the computer. Track layouts can be contorted to ridiculous extremes so that expanding an established rail network is no longer the headache it was in Railroad Tycoon.
There are complex cargo relationships. Iron and coal must both be taken to steel mills to get steel. Rubber goes to tire plants, but both steel and tires must be provided for automobile plants to produce their precious load.
Playing Railroad Tycoon II with all options on is an immersive experience. You can get lost in the details of stocks, bonds, and mergers or setting up routes and consists. Railroad Tycoon II never becomes a click fest. Sometimes considerable periods can pass without the need for intervention so you can watch your creation at work.
There are a few flaws. The most glaring is that there is no undo option when laying track. Laying track on large maps with lots of trains even when paused can be tricky. The program doesn't always keep up with your mouse movements, so saving before track work becomes a necessity.
There are also no long bridges or tunnels. They have been "incorporated" into the track-laying process without any visual representation. Instead, when laying track there is a certain self-leveling process that takes place to reduce grades. Some sort of additional grade reduction mechanism would be a good addition. On the upside, there is a greater appreciation for long-haul trains like the Mikado or the Big Boys.
Trains crash and breakdown more often than one might like, even when all maintenance options are used. If a crash occurs when you are short of funds there is no way to save the route for a later time when coffers are full nor to directly replace a named train that has crashed. However, Phil Steinmeyer, the developer, is an active participant in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic newsgroup, and one patch has already been issued. So this point isn't moot yet.
PopTop has made the difficult look easy. It produced a sequel that eclipses the original in nearly all aspects. Playing Railroad Tycoon II is an emotional experience bringing back memories of Lionel trains and Christmas mornings long past and staring at Lionel catalogs and dreaming. No more arguments with Mom or your spouse over how much of the house has been taken over by your dream layout or how much money you've wasted. With Railroad Tycoon II, all those dreams of childhood can be realized at last.
In an industry now thriving on "me too" games, it defies belief that there have been so few previous entries in the "build and manage" genre started by the original Railroad Tycoon. At least half of these have come from Maxis.
Railroad Tycoon II by PopTop Software puts you in charge of a vast railroad empire in the persona of one of the legendary tycoons or government figures of the day. The train and station limits from Railroad Tycoon are gone. You can build stations and buy trains to your heart's content without bumping into an artificial limit. To the best of my knowledge, no one has exceeded the train/station limit, if there is one, relieving one of the most frustrating features of the original Railroad Tycoon when playing on large maps.
There is an amazing number of maps. There are 12 stand-alone maps plus over a dozen different maps in the campaign scenarios. Along with multiple maps of North America and Europe are maps of China, South America, India, Australia, and Japan. Russia is the only major area of the globe not covered by the game in some fashion. Given the complete flexibility of the editor and the easy import of graphic files, user maps and scenarios are popping up on the Web almost daily. The game includes one 18-scenario campaign, but more can be created using the editor.
The graphics are wonderful. At high levels of zoom the trains look photo-realistic. As time passes, the various cars (passenger, mail, coal, etc.) change their appearance to match the era. Stations have architectural styles to match the geographic area. Smoke belches from the engines, trails from homes, shoots out of steel mills. Visually, trains remain straight and level instead of following the track uphill or around a tight curve, which takes some getting used to, but watching a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy running at full steam is a glorious experience.
The sound effects are equally stunning. Each structure has its own sound set. Zoom in to hear the cattle lowing at a ranch; zoom out and the sounds blend together from different buildings giving each region a distinctive personality. Train crashes sound appropriately apocalyptic. Sell some stock and a chorus of voices echoes your actions. The music is good enough to stand on its own, and there is a lot of it, though unfortunately it is all North American in style and spirit. Hearing a lonesome harmonica wail while running the British (rail) Empire is a bit off-putting.
The manual does an adequate job of explaining most of the details and concepts of the game, but there are annoying lapses. Gone are the train descriptions of Railroad Tycoon II's ancestor. Instead we get a bare list of trains according to their availability. On the other hand, a large foldout full-color cardboard playing aid shows all the cars, with full details on their weights in different periods, an industry flowchart with all the interrelationships depicted, and lists of buildings, station improvements, and hotkeys.
The train model has been simplified to some extent. There are no signal towers, though you can set the priority of a train (express, normal, slow, and stop) and tell it to go, wait until half full, or wait until full of cargo. You cannot drop off cargo at one station to be picked up by another train; one of the few steps back from Railroad Tycoon.
The business model is much more complex than Railroad Tycoon. When playing in expert mode you can buy on margin or sell short, giving you and the computer players all the tools to be all the ruthless robber baron you can be.
If business bores you, you can turn off some or all of the economic model. In addition to three canned difficulty levels, you can mix and match to create your own custom difficulty settings. Or chuck the whole thing, load a map, and play in "sandbox" mode where the only restriction is your imagination.
While Railroad Tycoon II is a real-time game, as was the original, you can pause the game at any time and continue to work in the game. This is especially recommended when manipulating stock; the computer players are ruthless and will gut you if given the chance. It is as easy to gain or lose a fortune in Railroad Tycoon II as it was in the golden age of robber barons.
Competing with other railroads is more indirect than in Railroad Tycoon. There are no rate wars. Instead, you can run trains on other railroads' tracks and use their stations, and they can use yours. For this privilege you pay a hefty price that can exceed the actual return, if your stay on their lines is long enough. The computer players manage their rail lines adequately though not on par with a good human player.
To do dirt to other railroads you have to wage war on the stock market, and this is where the computer players shine. They are as heartless, cunning, and devious as any of their real-life namesakes. If you become heavily margined trying to secure your own stock, the computer player may, depending on their personality (beware of J. P. Morgan), dump your stock, even selling it short.
The various displays for trains, cargo, stations, and your company make setting up and managing a railroad much easier than before. The map supports multiple levels of zoom, and you can toggle on and off different cargoes' supply/demand, train grades, station displays (having these available on the map makes setting up new routes much easier), and other features that are legible at all zoom levels.
Real life also intrudes more than it used to. Wars, international borders, and economic events have to be dealt with and aren't the pro forma nuisance notices they were in Railroad Tycoon. To run trains through several countries requires obtaining the rights (read: mucho dinero).
There are more than 60 trains and 31 different cargoes as well as a dining car and caboose. There are three station sizes, and the station orientation can be hard-set to one of eight choices or left to the computer. Track layouts can be contorted to ridiculous extremes so that expanding an established rail network is no longer the headache it was in Railroad Tycoon.
There are complex cargo relationships. Iron and coal must both be taken to steel mills to get steel. Rubber goes to tire plants, but both steel and tires must be provided for automobile plants to produce their precious load.
Playing Railroad Tycoon II with all options on is an immersive experience. You can get lost in the details of stocks, bonds, and mergers or setting up routes and consists. Railroad Tycoon II never becomes a click fest. Sometimes considerable periods can pass without the need for intervention so you can watch your creation at work.
There are a few flaws. The most glaring is that there is no undo option when laying track. Laying track on large maps with lots of trains even when paused can be tricky. The program doesn't always keep up with your mouse movements, so saving before track work becomes a necessity.
There are also no long bridges or tunnels. They have been "incorporated" into the track-laying process without any visual representation. Instead, when laying track there is a certain self-leveling process that takes place to reduce grades. Some sort of additional grade reduction mechanism would be a good addition. On the upside, there is a greater appreciation for long-haul trains like the Mikado or the Big Boys.
Trains crash and breakdown more often than one might like, even when all maintenance options are used. If a crash occurs when you are short of funds there is no way to save the route for a later time when coffers are full nor to directly replace a named train that has crashed. However, Phil Steinmeyer, the developer, is an active participant in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic newsgroup, and one patch has already been issued. So this point isn't moot yet.
PopTop has made the difficult look easy. It produced a sequel that eclipses the original in nearly all aspects. Playing Railroad Tycoon II is an emotional experience bringing back memories of Lionel trains and Christmas mornings long past and staring at Lionel catalogs and dreaming. No more arguments with Mom or your spouse over how much of the house has been taken over by your dream layout or how much money you've wasted. With Railroad Tycoon II, all those dreams of childhood can be realized at last.
FA Premier League Football manager 99
EA may have conquered the arcade footy market with World Cup '98, but have yet to release anything to match in the management area. Last year's FIFA Soccer Manager was frankly Vauxhall Conference League stuff, but being EA they're back with FA Premier League Manager 99 featuring a real 3D engine and more stats than John Motson could keep in his sheepskin coat.
Kick Off
The game opens with some impressive video footage and a majestic soundtrack. Your first task is to decide which team you want to take to the top from either the English or Scottish divisions.
FA PLM 99 covers a bewildering number of business aspects from licensing the hot dog sellers to working out the clubs cash flow. Apparently these features go down well in Germany.
Thankfully for us Brits there's a number of virtual managers that you can delegate to. This handy feature means you can focus on the coaching, the transfer market, the youth team, and topping the league.
Me-Mail
Once you're in the hot seat, there's a unique e-mail system that keeps you abreast of all the key events. Some of the mail provides information, whilst others require decisions. Replies are painless since the computer generates a response based on a number of options. For instance if a rival club wants to make a bid for player you could accept, decline or ask for more money. If only real e-mail was as easy to deal with.
The Transfer Market
To be successful at this game you'll need to splash the cash at the right players.The transfer market with its well implemented scouting system helps you do just that.
You can track down stars with the aid of an intuitive menu, which is as easy to use as it is powerful. And you're not just stuck with the domestic leagues, new players can be bought from almost every footballing nation in the world. An authentic football atmosphere is achieved because even outside the domestic leagues all the names and stats are real.
The 3D View
The key component of any footy sim is the match engine. The 3D engine is a cut-down version of EA's World Cup '98 engine, complete with commentary from the BBC's John Motson.
These games are the full matches. But you'll need the hardware if you want these matches to look like Match Of The Day '98 rather than Match Of The Day '38. Anything less than a Voodoo 2 and P200 results in something akin to watching Leeds play.
There is a problem however. By the time your team is playing their Christmas match the engine's limitations become all too apparent. You can't change the duration of the match, there are no repeats of goals, and John Mottson is limited to talking general phrases rather than commenting specific players, e.g. 'good save from the keeper', rather than 'good save from Seaman'. The engine also suffers for the several graphical glitches and the AI makes more errors than most referees.
For those with lesser PCs or in want of a slightly more tactical picture there's a 2D 'blob' option. However for some strange reason you lose the commentary. Finally you can just choose to see the result of each match. Once you start a game you can only move between 2D and 3D, there's no way of speeding the game up or going straight to the result.
The in-game management would be impressive if it wasn't for the fact that you can't change the formation during the match. Ok you can move each player individually, but there's no one-button solution. This is not a game for those who like to put five at the back when they go ahead (George Graham take note).
Conclusion
The polished management features and the level of detail cannot be faulted. This game is huge, but the menu and e-mail systems make sure you never feel out of your league.
However FA PLM 99's AI shortcomings and graphical glitches spoil what is otherwise a top title. Still like they say it's a funny old game.
EA may have conquered the arcade footy market with World Cup '98, but have yet to release anything to match in the management area. Last year's FIFA Soccer Manager was frankly Vauxhall Conference League stuff, but being EA they're back with FA Premier League Manager 99 featuring a real 3D engine and more stats than John Motson could keep in his sheepskin coat.
Kick Off
The game opens with some impressive video footage and a majestic soundtrack. Your first task is to decide which team you want to take to the top from either the English or Scottish divisions.
FA PLM 99 covers a bewildering number of business aspects from licensing the hot dog sellers to working out the clubs cash flow. Apparently these features go down well in Germany.
Thankfully for us Brits there's a number of virtual managers that you can delegate to. This handy feature means you can focus on the coaching, the transfer market, the youth team, and topping the league.
Me-Mail
Once you're in the hot seat, there's a unique e-mail system that keeps you abreast of all the key events. Some of the mail provides information, whilst others require decisions. Replies are painless since the computer generates a response based on a number of options. For instance if a rival club wants to make a bid for player you could accept, decline or ask for more money. If only real e-mail was as easy to deal with.
The Transfer Market
To be successful at this game you'll need to splash the cash at the right players.The transfer market with its well implemented scouting system helps you do just that.
You can track down stars with the aid of an intuitive menu, which is as easy to use as it is powerful. And you're not just stuck with the domestic leagues, new players can be bought from almost every footballing nation in the world. An authentic football atmosphere is achieved because even outside the domestic leagues all the names and stats are real.
The 3D View
The key component of any footy sim is the match engine. The 3D engine is a cut-down version of EA's World Cup '98 engine, complete with commentary from the BBC's John Motson.
These games are the full matches. But you'll need the hardware if you want these matches to look like Match Of The Day '98 rather than Match Of The Day '38. Anything less than a Voodoo 2 and P200 results in something akin to watching Leeds play.
There is a problem however. By the time your team is playing their Christmas match the engine's limitations become all too apparent. You can't change the duration of the match, there are no repeats of goals, and John Mottson is limited to talking general phrases rather than commenting specific players, e.g. 'good save from the keeper', rather than 'good save from Seaman'. The engine also suffers for the several graphical glitches and the AI makes more errors than most referees.
For those with lesser PCs or in want of a slightly more tactical picture there's a 2D 'blob' option. However for some strange reason you lose the commentary. Finally you can just choose to see the result of each match. Once you start a game you can only move between 2D and 3D, there's no way of speeding the game up or going straight to the result.
The in-game management would be impressive if it wasn't for the fact that you can't change the formation during the match. Ok you can move each player individually, but there's no one-button solution. This is not a game for those who like to put five at the back when they go ahead (George Graham take note).
Conclusion
The polished management features and the level of detail cannot be faulted. This game is huge, but the menu and e-mail systems make sure you never feel out of your league.
However FA PLM 99's AI shortcomings and graphical glitches spoil what is otherwise a top title. Still like they say it's a funny old game.
Commandos : Behind enemy lines
The premise of Commandos is a model for the game itself: Just as the heroes of this game prevail in dangerous military operations through unorthodox yet undeniably effective means, so too is Commandos a successful real-time strategy game because of its refusal to adhere to the genre's conventions. Pyro Studios has produced a genuinely original game of tactics, planning, and precision, one with impressive visuals and slick production values and one that will surely please fans of strategic combat, puzzle-solving, and World War II-era warfare alike.
Its isometric perspective recalls any number of real-time strategy games that came before it, but a closer inspection reveals Commandos' striking attention to detail. The prerendered 2D maps all look different, beautiful, and realistic, and accurately depict Nazi-occupied regions in Norway, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. You'll never find a scenario that looks boring; enemy barracks, tanks, electric fences, river dams, and much more all serve to make every mission dynamic and different. You even get some nice eye candy for good measure - enemy vehicles and structures go out in glorious pyrotechnics at the hands of your demolitions expert. And not only can you set the screen resolution to your liking, but you can zoom the screen in and out, set up split-screen cameras to keep tabs on isolated commandos, or set tracking cameras to follow enemy patrols.
Your six Commandos are all unique in appearance and attitude. They move smoothly whether they're walking, crawling, running, or plying any of their deadly skills, and you can learn all about them through a fast and friendly in-game tutorial that focuses on each of their individual skills. They're a charismatic bunch and will quickly grow on you, although their German enemies look rather boring by comparison. There isn't much music to speak of in Commandos, and the sound, though authentic, is sparse. And though the commandos sound great and become immediately distinguishable through their speech, they have disappointingly few speaking lines. The Germans don't have a lot to say either.
An unobtrusive and clever interface borders the screen, showing the various tools in the selected commando's knapsack, any of which can be selected with the click of a mouse. However, this interface is mostly for show; it's quicker just to hit the appropriate keyboard hotkey to select your green beret's combat knife for example - and in Commandos, every moment counts. Moving your men is as simple as clicking the desired destination or double-clicking to make the commando run. You need to micromanage everybody, and no one will move an inch without your express orders. This isn't a problem; just keep your idle men hidden at all times and you'll be OK.
To be sure, Commandos is a good strategy game not so much because of its fine look and interface, but because it makes you think. You needn't worry about real-time strategy protocol like fog of war and resources or having to restart from scratch every time you mess up (you can save whenever you like). Instead, you get a select group of specialists at your disposal, along with a concise yet informative mission briefing that clearly defines your task. You have nearly limitless reconnaissance data at your disposal; you can scroll all around the map, identify all enemy patrols, and even see each enemy's field of vision represented onscreen through a sweeping colored cone.
And so, you'll always have your work cut out for you - what you need to do is figure out exactly how to get the job done. Thus you need to develop a long-term plan, not unlike the skilled chess player facing an equally competent opponent. Essentially, you must figure out how to eliminate every enemy who stands in your way without any of the other enemies noticing. This will never prove an easy task, as the odds are always awful. But then again, the elements of stealth and surprise are always on your side. Guards cannot hear your men moving, nor can they hear their fellows die by your silent weapons. But if they see any of your men, or witness anything suspicious, they'll get riled up and you'll be in serious trouble.
To succeed, you must coordinate your troops. For instance, the marine is an adept killer, able to emerge from underwater instantly, armed and ready with knife and harpoon gun - but he needs the green beret's brawn to dispose of the bodies. And if the spy can find an enemy uniform and distract the enemy, then the driver will be able to sneak past and steal a parked tank. The combinations aren't always binary; solving certain situations in Commandos can be very complex and challenging but always logical and predictable. You cannot slow the game down or speed it up, and so you'll occasionally need to employ a little dexterity and good timing. But these action elements only amplify the game's visceral appeal and do not detract from its strategic core. You'll also run into the occasional pathing problem trying to operate a large vehicle, but aside from that, Commandos controls just fine.
Commandos contains a single linear campaign composed of 20 big missions. The linearity isn't problematic; while there exists a best way to win each scenario, you always get plenty of room to be especially creative or just a little reckless. And because they're well designed and open-ended, you'll want to play most of them more than once. Any of these missions can be attempted cooperatively with up to five other players, each responsible for at least a single troop. However, the true pleasure in this game is coordinating the entire squad single-handedly, anticipating how a situation will transpire and watching it go according to plan or successfully improvising when things don't go your way. And what a pleasure - after you navigate your team through or past some 50-odd nonchalant German guards, destroy a vital enemy installation, and hijack a means of escape, you may well find Commandos sneaking its way to the top of your list.
The premise of Commandos is a model for the game itself: Just as the heroes of this game prevail in dangerous military operations through unorthodox yet undeniably effective means, so too is Commandos a successful real-time strategy game because of its refusal to adhere to the genre's conventions. Pyro Studios has produced a genuinely original game of tactics, planning, and precision, one with impressive visuals and slick production values and one that will surely please fans of strategic combat, puzzle-solving, and World War II-era warfare alike.
Its isometric perspective recalls any number of real-time strategy games that came before it, but a closer inspection reveals Commandos' striking attention to detail. The prerendered 2D maps all look different, beautiful, and realistic, and accurately depict Nazi-occupied regions in Norway, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. You'll never find a scenario that looks boring; enemy barracks, tanks, electric fences, river dams, and much more all serve to make every mission dynamic and different. You even get some nice eye candy for good measure - enemy vehicles and structures go out in glorious pyrotechnics at the hands of your demolitions expert. And not only can you set the screen resolution to your liking, but you can zoom the screen in and out, set up split-screen cameras to keep tabs on isolated commandos, or set tracking cameras to follow enemy patrols.
Your six Commandos are all unique in appearance and attitude. They move smoothly whether they're walking, crawling, running, or plying any of their deadly skills, and you can learn all about them through a fast and friendly in-game tutorial that focuses on each of their individual skills. They're a charismatic bunch and will quickly grow on you, although their German enemies look rather boring by comparison. There isn't much music to speak of in Commandos, and the sound, though authentic, is sparse. And though the commandos sound great and become immediately distinguishable through their speech, they have disappointingly few speaking lines. The Germans don't have a lot to say either.
An unobtrusive and clever interface borders the screen, showing the various tools in the selected commando's knapsack, any of which can be selected with the click of a mouse. However, this interface is mostly for show; it's quicker just to hit the appropriate keyboard hotkey to select your green beret's combat knife for example - and in Commandos, every moment counts. Moving your men is as simple as clicking the desired destination or double-clicking to make the commando run. You need to micromanage everybody, and no one will move an inch without your express orders. This isn't a problem; just keep your idle men hidden at all times and you'll be OK.
To be sure, Commandos is a good strategy game not so much because of its fine look and interface, but because it makes you think. You needn't worry about real-time strategy protocol like fog of war and resources or having to restart from scratch every time you mess up (you can save whenever you like). Instead, you get a select group of specialists at your disposal, along with a concise yet informative mission briefing that clearly defines your task. You have nearly limitless reconnaissance data at your disposal; you can scroll all around the map, identify all enemy patrols, and even see each enemy's field of vision represented onscreen through a sweeping colored cone.
And so, you'll always have your work cut out for you - what you need to do is figure out exactly how to get the job done. Thus you need to develop a long-term plan, not unlike the skilled chess player facing an equally competent opponent. Essentially, you must figure out how to eliminate every enemy who stands in your way without any of the other enemies noticing. This will never prove an easy task, as the odds are always awful. But then again, the elements of stealth and surprise are always on your side. Guards cannot hear your men moving, nor can they hear their fellows die by your silent weapons. But if they see any of your men, or witness anything suspicious, they'll get riled up and you'll be in serious trouble.
To succeed, you must coordinate your troops. For instance, the marine is an adept killer, able to emerge from underwater instantly, armed and ready with knife and harpoon gun - but he needs the green beret's brawn to dispose of the bodies. And if the spy can find an enemy uniform and distract the enemy, then the driver will be able to sneak past and steal a parked tank. The combinations aren't always binary; solving certain situations in Commandos can be very complex and challenging but always logical and predictable. You cannot slow the game down or speed it up, and so you'll occasionally need to employ a little dexterity and good timing. But these action elements only amplify the game's visceral appeal and do not detract from its strategic core. You'll also run into the occasional pathing problem trying to operate a large vehicle, but aside from that, Commandos controls just fine.
Commandos contains a single linear campaign composed of 20 big missions. The linearity isn't problematic; while there exists a best way to win each scenario, you always get plenty of room to be especially creative or just a little reckless. And because they're well designed and open-ended, you'll want to play most of them more than once. Any of these missions can be attempted cooperatively with up to five other players, each responsible for at least a single troop. However, the true pleasure in this game is coordinating the entire squad single-handedly, anticipating how a situation will transpire and watching it go according to plan or successfully improvising when things don't go your way. And what a pleasure - after you navigate your team through or past some 50-odd nonchalant German guards, destroy a vital enemy installation, and hijack a means of escape, you may well find Commandos sneaking its way to the top of your list.
Games on the PC are always going to be better than those on a console. The reason for
this is, because PC’s are used for multiple purposes, they need to be continually
updated. This is not done to help out games, but does so inadvertently. If game
producers take advantage of this, they will end up having great games for the PC.
The let-down is the multiplayer. OK, if you are willing to pay-to-play over the
internet, or set up an LAN with your friends, PC multiplayer is good. But unlike your
console, you can’t hook up more than one controller/joystick. So, if your mates come
round, the PC is not the best place to turn
However, if and adapter could be made, like the Sony multi-tap, but for PC’s,
computers would be gaming heaven.
Because of constant updtes to the PC, you can be sure that the graphics will be better
than any console based game.
However, I suggest that until this happens, have a console, even if it’s mainly for
multiplayer.
this is, because PC’s are used for multiple purposes, they need to be continually
updated. This is not done to help out games, but does so inadvertently. If game
producers take advantage of this, they will end up having great games for the PC.
The let-down is the multiplayer. OK, if you are willing to pay-to-play over the
internet, or set up an LAN with your friends, PC multiplayer is good. But unlike your
console, you can’t hook up more than one controller/joystick. So, if your mates come
round, the PC is not the best place to turn
However, if and adapter could be made, like the Sony multi-tap, but for PC’s,
computers would be gaming heaven.
Because of constant updtes to the PC, you can be sure that the graphics will be better
than any console based game.
However, I suggest that until this happens, have a console, even if it’s mainly for
multiplayer.
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