98 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
98 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
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OVERRUN!
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OVERRUN! is a tactical simulation of small unit actions from Gary Grigsby (MECH
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BRIGADE, PANZER STRIKE!, TYPHOON OF STEEL) and Strategic Simulations. This
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advanced-level program offers both past and future scenarios, Middle Eastern and
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European terrain sets, strategic and tactical maps, a campaign game, menu
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control, a save-game option, a construction set editor, and no copy protection.
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This review is based on the Apple II version; Commodore 64/128 version notes
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follow.
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OVERRUN! uses a modified version of the play system first seen in PANZER
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STRIKE! and TYPHOON OF STEEL. Since some of OVERRUN!'s scenarios concern
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possible future conflicts, alterations have been made to the system to reflect
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technological advances. The Apple II version looks good on a Laser 128
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compatible -- an added bonus considering Apple programs usually look horrible.
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The two double-sided disks are not copy-protected. The construction set, while
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not as comprehensive as that of BATTLES OF NAPOLEON's, allows you to edit the
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ready-made scenarios, as well as generate random or personally-designed battles.
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OVERRUN! offers four World War III scenarios set in Europe, with the Soviets
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and NATO forces as the combatants. Four Middle East scenarios have American,
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Arab, Iranian, Soviet, United Kingdom, and French forces as combatants.
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According to the scenario notes in the manual, the dates of the Middle East
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actions are hypothetical, even though the "Janos to the Rescue" scenario
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concerns the 1973 Arab-Israeli "October War." Each turn of a scenario consists
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of Orders and Combat Phases for each side; each scenario consists of 60 turn and
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the campaign game strings a series of battles together.
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The Apple II screen display presents a scrolling map with differing terrains,
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depending on the scenario. Regardless of whether the scenario is set in Europe
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or the Middle East, certain terrain features (indicated by icons) are common to
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both: clear areas, roads, depressions, wood and stone buildings, trees, coasts,
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and water.
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The Middle East terrain sets add lots of sandy deserts -- some of which cannot
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be crossed. Icons also indicate battle units: All kinds of vehicles, including
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tanks and helicopters; different weapons, and infantry units, all in various
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states of readiness and ability. Each type of terrain costs units a certain
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number of movement points; the costs differ, depending on the unit being moved;
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and rain has an effect.
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Like most SSI simulations, OVERRUN! is controlled through menus whose myriad
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functions are invoked with keystrokes. The number keys (1-8) move accessed units
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in the eight compass directions. Other keystrokes toggle strategic and tactical
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maps, clear the units to reveal the terrain, change a unit's facing, access
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other units, set targets, pinpoint objectives, allow the computer to control a
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chosen unit, change a helicopter's altitude, and reveal all the pertinent
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statistics of any unit. Orders can be aborted and redone.
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Modifications have been made to the PANZER STRIKE! play system in order to
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accommodate modern weapons, such as: kinetic, HE, and heat shells; reactive
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armor; thermal sights; helicopters; and missiles. If you've played PANZER
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STRIKE! or TYPHOON OF STEEL, you won't have any problem with OVERRUN! Save disks
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can be formatted from the Game Save Menu, and games can be saved after each
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Combat Phase.
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The construction set allows you to modify any of the ready-made scenarios, or
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create an entirely new scenario -- from the size and terrain of the map, on up.
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Units can be configured and deployed, and objectives chosen and set. If you
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prefer, the computer set will generate a random scenario. In either case,
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whatever has been created can be saved for later use, or further editing.
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While the OVERRUN! construction set editor is not as complete as that of
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BATTLES OF NAPOLEON's (which allows alteration of the tables that run the game),
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it is as good as the editors that have become part of each SSI simulation.
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The OVERRUN! package comes with two double-sided disks: a game disk and a
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scenario disk for each theater. Although the disks are not copy-protected, there
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will be documentation checks. There are two manuals: a Rule Book and a Briefing
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Manual. The Rule Book explains everything about the game with typical SSI
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clarity and detail; the Briefing Manual includes notes on the scenarios, and
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listings of everything that you'll use to play.
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It's difficult to make an SSI screen map look bad; as I said, the Apple graphic
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displays look just fine. The game plays exactly as it's supposed to. Since
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OVERRUN! is an advanced-level simulation, I can't recommend it for newcomers to
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wargames; there's too much to know, and too much to study. Veterans, of course,
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will enjoy it immensely.
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COMMODORE 64/128 VERSION NOTES
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The C64/128 version of SSI's OVERRUN! requires little in the way of notes here,
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because it's all but identical to Apple II version -- right down to the the Rule
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Book and Briefing Manual. The graphic displays are nearly the same, the menus
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work the same, and the game plays the same. You could buy the C64 disk and the
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Apple II Rule Book without ever knowing there was a difference between the two.
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The C64's OVERRUN! disks are not copy-protected, either. The C64 Demo Disk,
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however, won't copy the disks properly, so you'll have to use a commercial copy
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utility, or the copy program in the Epyx FASTLOAD cartridge.
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OVERRUN! is published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. and distributed by
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Electronic Arts.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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