rw23+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert Ward) (02/20/91)
Has anyone been successful in a 2 human vs 2 computer opponent game of armor alley? If so, how do you do it? We have been trying without success for months (in the meantime, one of us has completed level 10 of the single player game, the others are on level 8 and 6). We seem to do well enough in dogfights, but every game is the same. We immediately take over almost the entire length of the field. Then we send convoy after convoy (tanks, missles, and vans) without success. It seems that if we destroy the computer, he comes back fully armed and eventually destroys all the vans. If we don't destroy the computer, he commits some sort suicide and then comes back and kills the vans (although we haven't spent so much time on this second idea). Rob
benser@SRC.Honeywell.COM (Earl Benser) (02/21/91)
I and a friend of mine have completed Levels 7 and 10 in the 2 human vs 2
computer mode. As stated in the above referenced article the machine is
very persistent and it is difficult to win. We found these levels the
easiest since there are center helipads where you can rearm and refuel. Our
secret? I'm not sure this is all that great but we stagger our selves so
that one player is at "the front" and the other is refueling at any time.
We always send convoys of small size at first with ample engineers since
the AA guns are of great importance. We then switch to larger convoys of
alternating tanks and vans. This is initiated when we have taken and
repaired the last AA gun sites. We still send occasional engineers for
repair purposes.
We find the missile launchers to be woorthless except that the distract the
enemy helicopters while you clobber them with your own. We wait behind the
last AAA gun sites on the ground while the final convoys approach. Here you
can use the AA guns to cover you from the enemy choppers and if they fire
air to air missiles at you the nearby bunker is convenient to run the
missiles into to eliminate them. We also use a "pop-up" manuever to get rid
of the choopers. Stay on the ground until the enemy is visible and quickly
pop up and advance while dropping a few bombs. This generally is effective
and super if the two choppers are flying together. An occasional missile
fired at near ground level is useful to wipe out approaching ground forces.
As your terminal convoy approaches we go all out to wipe out the enemy as
far in advance as possible. We use the alternating combat approach and find
that if you populate the convoy with >6 vans one will make it through.
We have also seen problems saving games in single player mode. I have two
Macs at home connected with AppleTalk. we have two different S/Ns of Armor
Alley and when I play single player mode on one machine everything works
ok. I try to resume a suspended game and the machine bombs (even stripped
down to Mac II 8/80 - uniFinder - no INITs) and upon restart thinks I have
tried to pirate the software (Someone else using your copy of AA). I can
rebuild by throwing the Preferences folder (in the System folder) away and
re-registering but the game is essentially lost (you continue to get the
same result upon resuming the game). Any one have any ideas or suggestions
about this problem? I am running TOPS between the two machines at other
times. Could this be part of the problem?
^L
POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS ************************************************
We have uncovered what appears to be an undocumented feature or bug within
AA. At this time we are experimenting to determine the extent of the
feature. We have noticed many times that if you have both choppers on the
ground with at least one located just to your side of the arrow sign near
the enemy pad that the enemy choppers will stay on the pad and not advance.
This requires that you kill them simultaneously and hit the deck quickly.
But with this technique you can allow your convoys to advance without
challenge. We have seen this work in some cases and not in others so we
don't know if this is absolutely repeatable. The frequency of occurence is
high enough to warrant additional investigation. Anybody else seen this?
My friend uses this to repetitively defeat AA at level 10 - single player
mode.
Thanks in advance...
Earl...
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Earl T. Benser * *
Systems and Research Center * benser@src.honeywell.com *
Honeywell Inc. * *
Minneapolis, MN 55418 * *
*******************************************************************************Mark.Tucker@f421.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Mark Tucker) (02/21/91)
I was also having problems with saving the game. What version of AA do
you have? I called Three-Sixty and they sent me version 1.0.1 which
seems to fix the problem with the saved game.
Has anyone had any problems with the modem connection. I can't even
get my modem to respond in AA. I have a Practical Peripherals 2400.
The modem works fine with every other program I've tried.
--
Mark Tucker, Mark.Tucker@f421.n109.z1.fidonet.org
via The Black Cat's Shack's FidoNet<->Usenet Gateway
blkcat.fidonet.org and Fidonet 1:109/401benser@SRC.Honeywell.COM (Earl Benser) (02/24/91)
Apparently the modem play capability in AA has yet to be completely worked
out. We called Three Sixty and the indicated that it wasn't working yet. No
news of when it might.
*******************************************************************************
Earl T. Benser * *
Systems and Research Center * benser@src.honeywell.com *
Honeywell Inc. * *
Minneapolis, MN 55418 * *
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