dwl10@uts.amdahl.com (Dave Lowrey) (12/23/88)
Posted for a friend................
Subject: Red Storm Rising revisited
You will probably recall that I was pretty negative in my recent review of
MicroProse's new Red Storm Rising nuclear attack submarine simulation. My
main complaint was that instead of being exciting, the subject matter was
frustrating and boring.
I must confess, though, that I find myself regularly playing RSR. It turns
out that when I get home from a long day at work, I'm perfectly happy to
play a game where I can stare blankly at the screen for minutes at a time
and should never need to react quickly. When I'm in this "couch potato"
mood, I can really appreciate the overall quality of Red Storm Rising.
I've also figured out that unlike most games, selecting a difficult scenario
means *less* action in RSR. In particular, choosing the 1984 time period
gives you the old (Mod 4) version of the Mark 48 torpedo with its lower speed
and more limited range. As a result, you must get much closer to each target
before firing (er... "shooting" they call it on subs) -- which means much
more boring time spent creeping up on one target after another. And the
higher difficulty levels (Serious and Ultimate) make the enemy ships much
quieter so again you have to creep in really close to pick up all of the
contacts.
For the most interesting action (well, at least the lowest boredom level),
I recommend selecting either the 1992 time period with an Improved Los
Angeles class sub, or the 1996 time period with the Seawolf class, sticking
with the two lowest difficulty levels, and selecting "a chance encounter"
as your target. If things still get boring, try turning on the active
sonar for a couple of pings or (if surface ships are around) sticking your
mast out of the water (with the active radar turned on for good measure).
That should attract somebody's attention. :-)
The key to enjoying Red Storm Rising seems to be, don't get too excited
about getting a new game because RSR won't be able to sustain that
excitement level. Play it when you're too tired to face your joystick,
and I think it'll grow on you. It sure has grown on me.
--
Doug Pardee, Edgcore Technology (formerly Edge Computer), Scottsdale, AZ
---> (By the time you read this, I'll be off the net) <---
--
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"This isn't Heaven, this is Cleveland!!!!"
Dave Lowrey
Amdahl Corp.
Houston, Texas
(713)-850-8828
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[ The opinions expressed <may> be those of the author and not necessarily
those of his most eminent employer. ]