berman@stsci.EDU (Mike Berman) (11/12/87)
Two problems with firepower:
1) Joystick-Modem mode
We used a bare-minimum null modem cable (2-3 swap, pin 7 through).
We could send messages via the terminal interface by typing into the
"#" window, but were unable to get the START gadget to start the game.
I'd expect that we need pin 20, also. Does anyone know of the pin
configuration they got it running with?
2) Joystick-Joystick mode
This worked fine, but each time we played the game ended not
as a victory but as a Guru! The screens were very busy at the time -
guns firing, POWs running, tanks moving. What's important is that
it is very consistent - we haven't completed one yet! Anyone else have
this problem?
Overall, however, this is an excellent game. There are some problems -
you can too easily get stuck in trees, rubble, or against walls with
no way out. They bill this in the instructions as "realism" (i.e.
"That's not a bug, it's a FEATURE!"). The only way out is to detonate
a mine on yourself, if you have one. In Joystick vs. Computer mode
mines aren't available, so you have to hope a helicopter gets you
(they're lousy shots) or reboot.
The graphics are superb. The game is also very easy to learn -
the joystick controls are intuitive (move & fire). Laying mines
can be tricky and you sometimes will blow yourself up while
moving and shooting. It takes some getting used to.
An added plus is that I only paid $25 for this game retail, so
others are tempted to buy it rather than Marauder it. Let's face
it, I'd rather pay $25 for a decent game than have to look up
that keyword in the Marauder manual!!
--
Mike Berman Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218
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