Untitled - TRS-80 Color Computer Archive

legal, both tiles disappear and revealthe tiles below them. If the move isillegal because a tile is not free, a politemessage informs you of that fact.Documentation for Shanghai iscontained on the disk, with the rules forthe four game variations as well as theoverall strategy being presented in theform of what looks like very old parchment manuscripts. Having the rules soclose at hand is a nicety—not reallynecessary, for the rules are simple andeasy to remember. That they have beendone up in such fine style when theymight have been fluffed off is anothertribute to the computer craftsmanshipthat has gone into the making of thisversion. As a devoted player of mahjonggmight cherish a set of finely engraved ivory tiles, so we who deal withcomputers can appreciate the craft ofShanghai.As it turns out, there are good reasons why this game has survived thecenturies and why it seems to crop upanew with each new generation: It is agood game—simple to play, difficult tomaster, and providing endless challenge. In its current incarnation as acomputer game, it remains just as challenging and just as much fun.ShanghaiActivision2350 Bayshore Frontage Rd.Mountain View, CA 94043$44.95 Macintosh, Atari ST,Amiga versions$39.95 IBM, Tandy, Apple II versions$34.95 Commodore 64 versionOGREJames V. TrunzoRequirements: Apple Il-series computers(with a 64K minimum of memory) andCommodore 64 computer; Atari eight-bitand ST versions should be available bypublication date of this issue.One definition for the term ogre, foundin my trusty old Webster's, is "a dreadedperson or object: someone or something very difficult to cope with." Inreference to a new release from Originssoftware, titled OGRE, both definitionsfit. In this case the Ogre is a cybernetictank devised to be the ultimate weaponof destruction and, indeed, it is bothdreaded and difficult to cope with.If the title of this game soundsfamiliar to some of you, it should.Before the advent of the personal computer, board games were the gamer'smedium, and within this genre therewas the minigame: a game whose scopewas confined and which could beplayed in a relatively short span oftime. Steve Jackson developed a number of very entertaining and very involved minigames, one of which wastitled OGRE. That same minigame hasnow made the transition from papermap and cardboard counters to hi-resgraphics and pull-down windows. Andvery successfully, I might add.The goal of OGRE is simple, regardless of which side you play. If youcommand the Ogre Mark III or the superior Ogre Mark IV, you have twoobjectives: Your primary goal is to destroy the opposition's command post;your secondary goal is to eradicate allenemy units. If you command the various tanks, GEVs (Ground Effective Vehicles), howitzers, and infantry thatcomprise the forces that must opposethe cybertanks, your primary goal is toprotect the command post and, failingthat, prevent the Mark III or Mark IVfrom exiting the combat area. In bothcases, achieving your objective meansdestroying the Ogre.The factors that made OGRE, theboard game, so popular are exactly thesame ones that make OGRE, the computer game, an excellent product.OGRE allows the player to focus on asingle objective while providing eitherside with numerous ways of reaching orpreventing that objective, dependingon the player's perspective.Different StrategiesPlaying the Ogre presents the playerwith a choice of approaches as the Ogrebattles its way inexorably up the battlefield. Using its massive armament (ithas numerous weapons, ranging fromantipersonnel guns to long-range missiles—it wasn't nicknamed Ogre because it was cute), the cybertank canseek and destroy, attempting to eliminate all units opposing it first, and thenproceeding, unimpeded, toward the defenseless command post. The Ogreplayer can, however, select an alternative plan, employing the Ogre's massive speed and ability to takepunishment, and strike out singlemindedlyfor the command post, confronting only those units that it cannotinitially avoid.Opponents of these futuristic tankscan also choose their poison. Depending on the make-up of their forces,those protecting the command postmight wish to use guerilla tactics, harassing the Ogre with hit-and-run attacks—or they might elect to amass alltheir most powerful armor up front andfight a battle of attrition. In any case,opponents of the Ogre must decidewhether to concentrate on attacking thetank's treads in order to slow its movement or whether to concentrate onknocking out its long-range weapons.One hint: Like the pawn in chess, theseemingly weak and unimportant infantry are essential to the destruction ofthe Ogre. Also like the pawn, the infantry units must often be sacrificed for thegood of the cause.Tactics and strategy aside, OGRE isa fascinating piece of work simply dueto the mechanics employed in thegame's play. Using what is rapidly becoming standard operating procedure,OGRE employs liberal use of pull-downwindows, "dragging," and clicking—terms usually associated with the Macintosh. These techniques and all othercommands can be implemented byusing a joystick, mouse, or keyboard.The fact that a joystick can be used aseasily as a mouse to move pieces orissue attack orders speaks for itselfwhen you analyze the programmingability that went into OGRE's design.The game is further enhanced byits ability to design its own scenarios.While many options are automaticallyincluded, like the opportunity to selecta pre-made battlefield using pre-madeforces, or to select a particular skill level, thus altering the depth of the artificial-intelligence routines of thecomputer opponent, the built-in editorallows the user to create his or her ownterrain and force to oppose the Ogre.The simplicity with which this can beaccomplished is directly attributed tothe use of the aforementioned techniques of dragging and clicking. Placethe cursor on a crater and drag it into anew position. Click it permanently intoplace. That's all there is to it. Of course,customized battlefields and forces canbe saved to disk for future use.OGRE faithfully recreates itsboard-game predecessor and offersgame players an exciting, quick-playingchallenge. Its use of Macintosh-styletechniques enriches an already excellent game and makes this product astandout among current arcade/strategy war games.OGREOrigin Systems340 Harvey RoadManchester, NH 03103Distributed by Electronic Arts1820 Gateway Dr.San Mateo, CA 94404$39.95 ©36 COMPUTE) February 1987