Personal Computer News


Strategic Command

Author: Mike Gerrard
Publisher: Romik
Machine: Dragon 32

 
Published in Personal Computer News #008

Tomorrow The World?

Tomorrow The World?

Romik's claim is that they will be introducing at least one new game every month - which is just as well as it would take that long to read the instructions on Strategic Command.

Objectives

The aim is nothing less than total world domination, which is achieved by deploying your various forces around the map in an attempt to capture your opponent's capital.

First Impressions

Opening the cassette and reading the closely-typed double-sized insert makes you realise that this is not a game to be tackled lightly.

In Play

Strategic Command

Unfortunately play is delayed by a brief 'Joystick Control' program at the start of the tape, which simply confirms that both joysticks will move in the different directions, and of course this has to be run though in order to find the start of the main program each time. Annoying and unnecessary.

Run the game proper and the map is displayed, the opposing red and yellow forces each having a capital, an army base and a naval base. Task forces can be created from each of these, but only when the particular base is flashing.

Centring the joystick and pressing the fire button makes the bases flash in rotation, till you hit the one you want.

Strategic Command

It sounds tricky but soon becomes easy.

Once started, a force will keep moving until the instructions are altered, which means keeping your eye on several things simultaneously, and when forces draw near the battle commences, the computer deciding which side is the stronger and is therefore victorious.

Several skirmishes will take place as each moves towards the other's capital, the grand reward being the painting of your enemy's land mass in your own colour.

This is a simplified version of events, but there is plenty to contend with.

Verdict

If arcade games are the fast-food of the computer world, then Strategic Command is more your three course dinner for two, but it occurs to me that with its minimal use of sound (just a few Spectrum-like beeps and buzzes) and its problems with the Dragon's colours, the whole enterprise would work better as a board game.

But if you like this type of strategy battle, and want one to try on your Dragon, then this seems to be the only one around and it is well done.

Mike Gerrard

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