Producer: Micro Prose
Retail Price: £9.95
Author: Sid Meier
Some wargames take a very long view of their subject matter, covering a campaign taking place over a period of years. Others zoom in a little closer and recreate the strategy of a single battle. At the microscopic end of this spectrum is the 'war machine simulation.' if you think about it, there can't be a more detailed wargame than one which allows you to press the buttons. And Silent Service, a submarine simulation set in the Second World War, places itself firmly in the category of wargame simulation. There's not so much mechanical apparatus that the military scenario is obscured, and not so much 'dap-zapping' that the illusion of authenticity is lost. Conceptually, Silent Service has got it just right.
However the implementation falls something short of the promise of the game design. I haven't seen Silent Service on other machines, but from playing the Spectrum version I can tell that it has been translated from a Commodore. There's a style of design which shows that this is a too-literal Spectrum 'translation'; chunky graphics, wide spaces, large lettering, joystick fixation. The trouble with such translations is that they tend to look slightly tatty around the Spectrum edges, and Silent Service suffers from this.
The quality that is most lacking is atmosphere. There is too much 'number-crunching,' and there's a lack of sound effects - there are a few, but those which exist seem to highlight the deficiency (this is made worse by the long list describing them - for Amstrad owners I suppose). Despite the Spectrum's well-known limitations, I feel that more attention ought to have been paid to sound in a submarine simulation. The silence of the Silent Service ceases to be interesting when it's a default mode occasionally interrupted by squeaks and scrapes.
Silent Service is supported by superb instruction, including detailed historical and technical information, and diversifying into maps, diagrams and charts. With a game like this, interesting and informative documentation is extremely important. It's unfortunate that the physical format of the'manual'is so inconvenient; two of those large sheets of glossy paper which are supposed to be folded fifteen times into the cassette box, and quickly get tatty. In the form of a booklet these instructions would have been a joy to consult, but as it is, it is very difficult to find things. Format aside, the instructions contain descriptions of the multiple stages and scenarios, technical information about the history and 'real-life' use of equipment simulated.
There are three types of scenario; Practice, Convoy Actions and War Patrols. The Practice scenario puts your submarine near the Midway Allied Base, surrounded by a number of empty cargo ships which have been anchored in place so they can't run away. This scenario allows you to learn how to operate the controls of the submarine, and how to aim and fire torpedos effectively. Though this option is mostly useful, the moored ships do have the irritating habit of drifting, making it difficult to keep a good angle on the bow. The Convoy Action scenarios put you in specific historical situations. Somewhere in the Pacific you are faced with a convoy, and you are equipped with a submarine appropriate to the time of the encounter. It is much more difficult to attack a moving, thinking target effectively. Every wargame has a scenario which really counts, in this case its the War Patrols. This option allows you an initial fifty days of fuel and complete freedom of the South Pacific. By roaming across a large scale map you have to locate your own convoys and deal with them. The aim is to sink the maximum possible tonnage of Japanese cargo ships.
On top of four basic 'skill levels' Midshipman, Lieutenant, Commander and Captain, difficulty is also controlled by what the game calls 'reality levels.' For example, the player can choose whether or not to have limited visibility, or the possibility of the occasional dud torpedo. Skill levels like this which directly influence gameplay are a good idea, and one of the many satisfying touches of Silent Service. On the War Patrol scenario the player also has a choice of historical submarines which, fully described in the instructions, reflect the innovations which were added to submarines as the war progressed.
The first two scenarios merely land the player's submarine at the appropriate location, but the War Patrol opens with a large scale map of the entire South Pacific. There is certainly no shortage of convoys, and finding them is not at all difficult. There is a map to indicate the shipping lanes where the more valuable targets - oil tankers and troop ships - are likely to be found. You can then zoom in on the map to four degrees of magnification, which will eventually show your position relative to the other ships in the vicinity.
Internal control of the submarine is based around a picture of the conning tower, complete with a picture of a man who I suppose is intended to represent the player. For some reason I found this screen slightly disconcerting. It seems to take away the perspective of immediacy, as if the simulation allows you to leap in and out of your own body. The conning tower screen's main function is to act as a visual menu for joystick control; by moving the man to various positions about the tower, other screens can be selected with the fire button. There are direct key presses to bypass all this if you wish. The game is paused while on the conning tower, so to get things going you have to be doing something else. Climbing a ladder takes you to the bridge screen, which allows a literal view of the surrounding seas and provides information about visibility conditions. You can spot distant ships off the edge of radar range as you sweep around 360 degrees with your binoculars, but on the whole it is safer to do that from inside the ship through the periscope. The periscope can operate up to a depth of 44 feet (if you remember to raise it), and can rotate through 360 degrees - also independent of the submarines's bearing. The periscope screen is vital when it comes to sinking ships, as it identifies targets when they are entered on the periscope's crosshairs, and provides information about the speed, bearing, distance and angle on the bow. Other screens show a panel of instruments relating to the condition of the submarine itself and a damage report.
Manoeuvring and positioning the submarine is not too difficult, being largely a matter of turning the hull by means of the rudders. There is no need to be pointing at targets in order to fire torpedos at them. The periscope crosshairs aim, and a handy device called the torpedo computer calculates a course for the torpedo, based on the speed and bearing of the target. If you wish, you can turn this off and try to do this calculation yourself - though I wouldn't advise taking on this extra difficulty. While I have faith that the program knows what it's doing underneath, the visual confirmation of torpedo strikes is disappointing - and often ambiguous. It is reasonable that some torpedoes which appear to be heading straight for a target don't cause a strike, because it warns in the instructions that there were sometimes faults in the mechanism. But I become cynical when the torpedo appears to shoot neatly past a ship - and then hits it anyway! All hits are accompanied by stunning silence, and a hit to the submarine is indicated by the corny (and distinctly un-submarine-like) device of a flashing margin.
Japanese convoys are accompanied by destroyers. The idea is to attack the destroyers first, then pick off the helpless cargo ships. Unfortunately the convoys tend to scatter when you make your presence known, making the chase frustrating and time-consuming. There is a facility to speed up time - as the designer points out in the instructions, real submarine patrols and encounters could last for hours - but on this version at least, it doesn't seem to work particularly well.
The designers of this simulation have done a good job in fitting an ambitious game environment into a little 48K Spectrum, and to be honest it's hard to find anything wrong either with the idea or implementation. It is certainly an impressive piece of software. And yet, despite being someone who loves simulations of anything (especially with lots of buttons to press and technical detail to back it up). I feel uncompelled by Silent Service. This is disappointing, because with just a little tweaking (and extra bytes, I suspect) it could have had that extra something. I'm afraid I'm going to have to close another review wishing for a 128 version... no doubt to the irritation of 48K owners.
Microprose
£9.95
Dive! Dive! Dive! Here's a game to play in the bath! This submarine simulation is a great war game but for serious gamers only. If you're the sort to be put off by a suggestion to read one or two books on submarine warfare, then the game isn't for you either, as this is just what Microprose warns you to do. Silent Service comes with two huge sheets of information to drown you in facts though the actual game is fairly simple. You must navigate your American sub across the Pacific, find a Japanese convoy, single out and sink your target, then beat a hasty retreat.
What gives the game its subtlety is the huge number of game options and variations to choose from. There are four skill levels - ranging from hard to totally impossible on my rating - and there are seven reality options so that you can make each game totally different. These include limited visibility, manoeuvrability of the enemy or dud torpedoes on your sub. Finally, you can choose between three game scenarios - torpedo or gun practise, convoy actions and war patrol.
Multiple screens aid your attacks. Map, visual, sonar and radar locations appear on one, while others give you periscope/binocular views, the conning tower, bridge, instruments and damage control. You can suffer from overkill on the information front, but it does seem like the real thing.
Whether you think Silent Service is subnormal or sublime depends on you. Like a good book, it takes a while to get into, but once you're there you'll be pleased you made the effort.
REPLAY
Re-pla, vt To play again. n
That section in YS which covers re-released games. (We just thought you'd like to know.)
Kixx
£3.99
021 625 3388
Reviewer: Jonathan Davies
The instructions that come with this terrifyingly comprehensive submarine sim would probably be sufficient to wallpaper a small basement flat - even after being reduced onto microfilm, as they have been to fit them into the game's titchy cassette box. But fear not. With the aid of my trusty magnifying glass/potato peeler (it came free with 5 litres of multigrade) I've spent the last three weeks analysing them in every detail, and I can safely say there's nothing I don't know about underwater warfare.
A thorough explanation of the game's workings in the inadequate space I've been allotted would be impossible (and incredibly boring) so I won't even try it. Rest assured, however, that if it's got anything to do with submarines it's in there - from conning towers to Christmas trees. (No, really!) And if you're prepared to immerse yourself in it properly, Silent Service is an utterly absorbing game. All that's really missing is a proper submarine atmosphere, but that's easily provided by some pieces of red cellophane, a few holes strategically drilled in the central heating pipes and an obliging friend or relative under orders to shake your chair about at moments of tension.
SUPER GAME GUIDE
Following on from last month's frollicking funderland of fabbo games still available for the Speccy, Mark 'Cor Blimey Guv' Patterson gives us the lowdown on another batch of game greats from the pages of the world's most SU-per Speccy mag. The sheer number and variety of games is bewildering but since bewilderment is Marky's lot he's definitely the best man to give 'em a go...
SILENT SERVICE
Label: Kixx
Memory: 48/128K
Price: Tape £3.99
Reviewer: Mike Patterson
Silent Service takes you far beneath the Pacific ocean in WWII as a submarine commander on the hunt for Japanese warships. You have to deal with every aspect of running the ship, from navigation to aiming and firing the torpedoes.
This game was a smash on 16-bit and is every bit as good on the Spectrum. While the graphics and sound are nothing outstanding, the atmosphere and overall playability makes this one hell of a good game.
Label: Microprose
Price: £9.95
Joystick: various
Memory: 48K/128K
Reviewer: John Gilbert
Dive, dive, dive. No, I'm not moaning about my new flat but I have just seen the latest strategy simulation from Microprose and I am at a loss for words. It's really very, very good.
It's difficult to know where to begin. Running a US WW2 submarine through hostile seas is no easy job and the array of interior and exterior displays, maps and controls in this simulation is very daunting.
For a start you've got to decide upon the reality level. Do you want limited visibility, do you want the worry that some of your torpedoes could be duds, or do you want to increase the strength and agility of the Japanese convoys you're supposed to scupper? It's up to you, but when you're a rookie commander you should concentrate on guiding your sub above the clear water and taking target practice rather than diving and getting lost.
There are three major control screens: the bridge on top, the conning tower which is the control centre, and the maps and status reports. If you decide to forget about reality levels it'll be a lovely sunny day on the bridge. Scanning around the horizon you'll find a group of islands, the sea, and the enemy convoy.
It's target practice time so select the conning tower control room. There are six operations stations in the tower.
If you're looking for action the most important station is the periscope. When you get one of the convoy ships in the middle of your sight a two-line measuring image appears, framing the ship and making targeting easy. The target will of course be moving. It'll probably be zig zagging if you have that reality level set and you'll have to take that into account when you loose off a torpedo.
When you do press the Fire button for the best effect go on to the bridge make sure you're on the surface, though. You'll see the torp ploughing through the water, near the surface, and if you're lucky there's a red flash and the quarry will start to sink. If you hit it on the bows or stern the other ships in the convoy may rally to protect it and come after you with depth charges.
If you're counter attacked you dive. Blow all tanks, go as deep as you can and stop engines. Run silent, run deep as I'm sure Robert Mitchum said in one of his films. In this situation the map station becomes the most important part of the Conning Tower. Push the joystick to the right and the little commander standing in front of the periscope will move to the map station. Press Fire and an overview of the coastline with radar scanning of ships in the area and your position will be flashed on to the screen. You can also zoom in on particular features of the map using a box cursor. That's useful if you want to find places to hide around the coastline or if you're in deep water and can't use the periscope to see where you are.
Silent Service is the most powerful, convincing, simulation game I've seen for some time.
At first sight it seems hopelessly complex but, once you read the two poster-sized instruction inserts, which include an enemy ship spotting chart you'll see that convoy bashing at its simplest level is easy. Then you can begin to progress and use more of the simulations facilities to become a terror of the Japanese shipping lanes.
You'll also be able to take on one of the five special missions outlined in the instructions. The situations include circling around a convoy to make an attack, patrolling enemy waters at night on the surface attacking while submerged and escaping from a burning flotilla in shallow waters. All the situations are crushingly difficult and require mastery of this excellent simulation as well as a great deal of patience.
I was completely captivated.
Label: Kixx
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Marc Richards
When boats were invented many moons ago, the whole idea was to have something that floated on water, thus keeping you dry and providing a safer alternative to swimming. This idea was widely accepted until one day Mr. Submarine decided to come along and confuse everyone by inventing a type of boat that sank.
These vessels were very successful and thus Mr. Submarine is now probably a very rich man who resides in a mansion somewhere in Jamaica and spends his days sipping at glasses of Americano and organising his next appointment with his private beautician.
This is what I call a simulator! I can't fault it. You play the captain of a WWII sub posted in the South Pacific, your mission being to seek out, track and sink Japanese vessels! It really is THE definitive submarine simulator. There are so many controls and options, including skill, reality and difficulty levels, location, submarine and combat controls.
The thing about sims with this level of reality is that they won't appeal to everyone. There is just so much to remember, that I think the only people who will completely master silent service are die-hard simulator or naval fanatics and actual submarine pilots. There is just so much packed into this piece of software that you soon begin to notice your Speccy going all dizzy and weak at the knees with its vast size - thus the game moves very slowly and screen updating is particularly sluggish.
Silent Service might not score much graphic and sound wise, but then what do you expect from your humble chum?! Playability and lastability only come into play if you can really get into this game. If you take one look at it and decide that it's just too complicated to bother about then obviously neither of these will count for you.
All I can say is, if you manage to reach in and grasp this game by the small intestines, you won't regret it. As it stands, this has to be one of the most accurate sims available (after all, this comes from the bods who created Gunship and Carrier Command).
STEVE: This sim is so accurate I think I'm going to be seasick! Unless you've got an IQ of several thousand, keep well away, steer well clear and basically avoid! Personally, I think I'll stick to good old-fashioned blast 'em ups!
ACTION ABOVE AND BELOW THE WAVES IN US GOLD'S SUB SIMULATION.
US Gold (Microprose)
£9.95
Commanding a US submarine during the Second World War, your mission is to sink as many Japanese ships as possible while avoiding the attention of enemy destroyers.
Armed with 34 torpedoes and a 4" deck gun you must hunt down the enemy shipping in a variety of scenarios. These range from the training mission to hunting convoys in the South China Seas.
Before any would-be Submarine Commander can help America win the war (again!) he must first learn how to control the ship. This means frantic use of the keyboard (despite the frequent mentions to a joystick in the instructions). In all, 33 key controls must be mastered before you can terrify Japanese shipping,and so practice is essential using the torpedo/gun training mission. The object is simply to destroy the four old cargo ships that are anchored in position to make things easler!
Pressing Caps Shift and one of the number keys moves you between the battle stations on your submarine, that include a navigation map, bridge and deck gun, periscope for aiming and firing torpedoes, instrument and gauge displays, damage reports and a captain's log that reports your "kills".
As you move between these stations you must plot your course control, your engine speeds and submarine depths as well as planning your attack run.
CONVOY ATTACK
How you attack the convoy depends on the conditions (day/ night) and how well it's protected. An unprotected convoy is easy and you can steam up to it at full speed and blast anything that moves. Although you should attack its centre, so you can use both sets of torpedo tubes. Be ready for a chase though as the convoy will scatter.
A protected convoy is more of a challenge particularly if there's more than one destroyer. Now you must stalk the convoy at slower speeds while keeping a narrow profile to the ships to avoid radar detection.
Your periscope is fitted with a target identifier that you should use to map out the convoy and plan your attack. You should be able to plot your attack run, so as the destroyer is stuck helplessly on the wrong side of the convoy, giving you a chance to strike and get away. Your periscope also gives you speed, course and distance of target so you can make every shot count.
If there's more than one destroyer and you can't find a gap then you'll have to take one out. This isn't going to be easy as you'll only have one shot before the destroyer locks onto you with it's deadly depth charges. Then it's DIVE, DIVE. DIVE, as you head for the safety of the depths. Cutting the engine will start the silent routine and you can even release fake debris to deceive a persistent destroyer. When you think the coast is clear, begin to stalk the convoy again.
Your sub can travel twice as quickly on the surface and you should do this whenever possible as it saves the all-important battery power. Lose that and you lose your sub.
Conquer the set scenarios and you're ready for the ultimate missions - the war patrols, when finding the enemy, is as difficult as sinking them. Obviously, lengthy voyages can be time consuming so you can speed up the action to two, three or four times the normal rate until you're ready for battle.
Finally you can make things almost impossible for yourself by adding in skill and reality levels which include limited visibility, dud torpedoes, zig-zagging convoys, no on-ship repairs and the worrying expert destroyers.
The game cassette is accompanied by two instruction sheets that explain almost everything from the control keys to convoy routes, tactics and a submarine commanders' spotters guide to Japanese shipping. When these sheets are folded there's barely room for the game cassette in the box!
An excellent simulation that will have you sparring with destroyers until the early hours.
GOING TO BATTLE
War simulations are becoming ever more popular Tom Courtenay examines some of the best.
War games have come a long way from the time H.G. Wells wrote Little Wars at the turn of the century. He wrote it as a result of trying to regulate the battles on the Kitchen table against his friends involving a handful of pained tin soldiers. These days, war-gamers revel in the complexity and realism of their simulations - ify ou call it playing soldiers they would be very upset. Any game worth its salt will involve tape measures, dice, sets of tables, vast numbers of troops, or even cardboard counters representing regiments or divisions.
So it is scarcely surprising that the home computer was welcomed by the war-gaming lobby with open arms. Two approaches were taken: either the computer could be used to referee a traditional war game fought on a table-top in traditional manner, or the whole thing could be transferred to the computer.
The pioneer of the latter approach was Lothlorien, which began to produce war games written in Basic on the Spectrum. Obviously they look primitive by today's standards but they attempted to be accurate representations of historical events. To the mainstream games enthusiast, they played slowly and you could not kill anything.
The first truly modern game was Nato Commander from Microprose. It takes place in northern Europe and features that almost constant American obsession, the Reds pouring over the border and trying to take over Europe. The game covers the most critical period, between the initial invasion and the U.S. getting huge reinforcements to the front. Thus, the Nato commander is severely outnumbered and is fighting a delaying action, trying to hold on to as much ground as possible, and possibly inflicting significant losses on the Soviets.
However distasteful you may find the scenario, it is a very good game. Success depends on falling back in stages, each rearguard action allowing time for the forces to the rear to dig in, then fall back, and so on. In that way, the steam is taken out of the Soviet advance. Any Soviet forces not in contact with friendly forces may disappear from the map, depending on how many aircraft are flying reconnaissance missions.
Aircraft can also run air superiority or ground attack missions. It is important to keep open supply lines and make the best possible use of terrain. The computer opponent is fairly intelligent, although by following particularly outrageous tactics it might be very confused.
Microprose recently followed this with Decision in the Desert and Crusade in Europe. They are a real tour de force. Covering two famous campaigns in WWII, they are about as near to a board game on a computer as you are likely to see. Almost everything is there, the different strengths and weaknesses of units, use of terrain, supply - in both strategic and tactical senses - fog of war, and a two-player option.
Again, the computer could be a little lacking in the old grey matter, especially when called on to defend, but the two-player option is what the game was about. Both games feature several different scenarios which portray different battles within the campaign. Although the games can be long, the speed of play can be varied to slow things when things become difficult. Orders are made in real time - the battle does not stop while you input orders. Tactics are very subtle. All-out effort rarely works; you will just run out of supplies and exhaust your troops. It is all about probing for weaknesses and then exploiting them quickly. The games are on C64, Atari and Apple.
Microprose recently capped even that success with its chart-topping Silent Service, in the same three formats, with ST, Amstrad and Spectrum versions promised. It is a superb simulation of submarine warfare in the Pacific. Almost without being aware of it, the player is subject to many rules about sighting, detection, firing and hidden movement. It knocks spots off all the board games devoted to the same subject - and you can shoot things.
You command one submarine on patrol in the Pacific. After a convoy is detected, a quick squint through the periscope to see whether its worth the risk - how heavy is the escort? Then check the time. Should you wait until dusk? Check the speed and course of the convoy. What is the best attack course to evade detection? A little on the slow side for the shoot-'em-up fraternity but a superb and exciting simulation which will take some beating.
That is not to say British programmers are not starting to get their acts together. Particularly Robert Smith, who has produced two fine simulations, Arnhem and Desert Rats, published by CCS on the Spectrum and Amstrad.
Another company specialising in this field is PSS. It has attempted to popularise the genre by including an arcade element in most of its games. Unfortunately that tends to mean the realism of the game suffers - precious memory and development time is lavished on a rather tedious shoot-'em-up.
Neither is the company a stranger to controversy. Its titles include Theatre Europe, all about the jolly little subject of a European war escalating into a thermonuclear holocaust. The scenario is much the same as Nato Commander but the addition of a complex air war, the arcade sequences and the thermonuclear option has left in its wake a rather dull land game.
The game falls between four stools. Falklands '82 was another landmark of good taste. It features the Argentinians and the British locked in a struggle to save their respective governments from the wrath of the electorates. The game stayed mainly with the land campaign, and it aroused much anger as it demonstrated the possibility of the British losing - something fairly obvious to anyone of even a semi-rational disposition.
Possibly the company's best game to date is Battle of Midway, about the decisive carrier battle in the central Pacific in the middle of 1942 which effectively ended Japanese chances of winning the war. The player controls the American task forces in an attempt to seek and destroy the Japanese aircraft carriers protecting an invasion of the American base at Midway island.
Although the tactics employed would make most military historians turn pale, it is not a bad game. The player has to find, identify and then shadow the enemy task force as, his strike aircraft close in from his carriers. Naturally, the enemy is trying to do the same, or even get to grips with his surface units. The player must plan his raids, try to evade the enemy, and control the strikes, making sure they find their targets and have sufficient fuel to return to their carriers.
The same system was developed further in the PSS Battle of Britain. It covers the Luftwaffe attempt to destroy the RAF in the summer of 1940. The main pre-occupation of the player is to preserve his fighters, taking on the Germans only if he can do so on favourable terms. There are problems; after each interception the fighters must land, re-fuel and re-arm. The nightmare is that a German raid will catch the fighters on the ground. The campaign is fought through several turns, with the British meeting raiders as their losses permit. It is a long game, of slightly dubious accuracy, but a fascinating struggle.
On the same subject, Their Finest Hour from Hutchinson is a flawed attempt to be a real simulation of the battle. Although highly-detailed, some of the mistakes are almost laughable. First, defensive flak can zip from target to target as if on wheels; ME109s have huge fuel tanks, along with the Spitfires which also have inexhaustible ammunition. Time and again, a squadron can shoot down 200 aircraft and usually the Luftwaffe is defeated on the first day. It is a pity, because it had the makings of a fine game.
The most recent PSS game returns to the Western Desert, Tobruk, on the Amstrad, features an exceptional network option where two Amstrads are connected using the joystick ports so that two players can battle with highly-realistic Fog of War. Neither can see each other's pieces. The game design is a little artificial, with the British having fixed supply dumps and the Germans being able to zip around at will but it is a fine game which is great fun to play.
Most of the games have been set in WWII. If you crave for the age of the horse and the cannon, there is a grave shortage of quality material from that era. The Lothlorien Waterloo and Austerlitz are not bad. Although they lack detail, the games go some way to recreating the Napoleonic era, but if you are looking for dramatic cavalry charges, forget it.
Possibly the best thing Lothlorian has done to date is Jonny Reb, a semi-abstract simulation of tactics in the American Civil War, seen in retrospect as the transition from the Napoleonic to the modern era. As firepower became more formidable, so the only way to stay alive was to take cover. The infantry charge became a rather rare commodity. That is dealt with very well in this game. The Confederate army's job is to try to take a bridge from a small force of troops before a large number of Union reinforcements can arrive.
The tactic is to move up men with covering fire from artillery, then open fire with the infantry. If that does not work, send in the cavalry as a last resort - demoralised troops will tend to run rather than face a cavalry charge. Endless variations of troops and terrain can be tried with a kind of battlefield designer.
The major criticism is that such a complex game has completely inadequate instructions. The terrain is placed there with little explanation of its effects. Despite that, and the usual monumentally thick computer opponent. It is a game which will reward plenty of experimentation.
Computer war games have progressed a long way from their humble origins but they still have some way to go before they reach the level of accuracy and subtlety of most board war games. Perhaps the new generation of 68000-'based machines might just fulfil that potential.
All information in this page is provided by ZXSR instead of ZXDB