As the technology envelope continues to be pushed and stretched, so is the gaming arena. The result of this constant evolution is a new breed of games edging ever closer to virtual reality in the playing field and great fun on the computer. As early as 1985 the thought of a good head-to-head aerial combat game playable over modem was a pipe dream. Ah, but how a few years can change the planet in the computer industry. It seems like overnight the hardware capabilities and programming savvy has caught up to give us some incredibly entertaining, and realistic head-to-head software.
In forums on online services the message is clear from users. “Make the games multi-player and networkable.” This constant pestering from the consumer has changed the gaming industry forever and it is not unrealistic to imagine a future where all games are linkable in one form or another. The forefathers of this genre such as Spectre, Spaceward Ho!, Strategic Conquest, Minotaur and Battle Chess have laid a solid foundation for what is proving to be the best group of head-to-head games yet.
The False Promise May be False no More
Although there have been considerable problems getting some older games to connect and work properly, this should not dissuade you from looking at the newer group of head-to-head games. It would seem as though the proverbial bugs have been worked out, and for the most part today’s generation of network games connect and run without a hitch. Of course, one cannot forget that either an AppleTalk or Ethernet network must be present for many of the head-to-head games available. And of the games that offer modem support, most require a minimum of 9,600 baud with 14,400 being the preferred in some cases. So jack up your hardware specs, connect those CPUs and let’s bang some heads!
Chuck Yeager’s Air Combat
The missions in CYAC are great, however the real thrilling aspect of this game is the network head-to-head play. Dog fighting another human in real time is the ultimate in computer flight simulators, and CYAC makes it possible for smooth action and incredible acrobatic fights. In the past, games like Falcon have made head-to-head dogfighting available, but fighting at Mach I in a realistic environment made head-to-head play more of a search and rescue mission than a dog fight. CYAC gets around this by slightly altering reality by making planes visible to one another even though they are passing each other near the speed of sound.
What CYAC loses in realism it gains is sheer excitement by giving you the opportunity to go up against your best friend in a MiG 21 whilst he nestles into a Phantom F4 cockpit. Or how about a Yak-9 facing off against a P-51 Mustang? Great fun. Network play is smooth, and with fast machines there is no degradation in game speed. Connection is as simple as dragging down a menu and selecting the parameters of the dog fight. Electronic Arts has also made modem play possible with AppleTalk Remote Access, and with a fast (9600 baud or better) modem, you can play over the phone lines with very little degradation in quality of play. For those that long for the thrill of head-to-head fighter combat in a semi-realistic setting, CYAC cannot be beat.
Power Poker
Power Poker gives you the opportunity to face off against your fellow man or woman in a pokerfest mediated by your CPU. You can have as many as 10 human opponents linked together playing Power Poker on a network, or even a modem/network combination. The Modem/Network combination has become increasingly important with multi-player games because of the lack of networks many game players have. If you can only physically get two machines together and connect on AppleTalk, then you can have a third player dial in remotely. It is really a matter of convenience for those of us that do not have ready access to a network. Connecting with Power Poker is a breeze and will allow for many hours of poker, instead of many hours of fidgeting with connections. Being able to face off against your buddies in a four-suit bonanza with the computer taking care of the chips and calculations is a blast. It lacks a little from the smoke filled rooms where these games are usually played, but it’s just about the next best thing. And the inclusion of a few computer players along with a few friends makes for a great poker game.
Empire Deluxe
There’s nothing quite like a game that allows you to revel in the triumph over another homosapien, and Empire Deluxe lets you do it any way you want! You can play against up to six opponents (any combination of computer and human), and you can include a modem person in the game while playing with others in a network, much like Power Poker. Connecting with Empire Deluxe is easy and is achieved through a menu. Interestingly, game play is affected only slightly when using slower modem speeds. At 2400 baud Empire was noticeably slower than 14,400 baud, but still acceptable. Empire Deluxe is a turn-based game however and waiting for the other player to finish their turn is a far greater delay than any modem will ever present. The real kicker is that the extra person can be on a Windows machine! Add this into the handicapping system included in the setup and you have a constantly fresh, exciting game.
Probably the most impressive aspect of this is that the modem and network play actually works well, even between platforms. The last option is to play by mail. Yes, New World Computing has even included this feature which is basically just sending a game file back and forth and completing individual turns. You can play by your local mail service, or your local E-mail service. My guess is that if you want to be playing by mail, you’d better have a great deal of patience because this is akin to playing chess by mail.
Super Maze Wars
One of the first games to offer Network/Modem gaming was Maze Wars + from Macro mind. This game was ahead of it’s time, offering AppleTalk, and modem play that worked in 1986! In a similar tradition Super Maze Wars enables you to go head-to-head with up to eight computer or human opponents in a variety of situations. The game is kept fresh with a wide variety of mazes to choose from and the craft you pilot have various weapons and shields to help you in your quest for victory. Unfortunately you can only play head-to-head over a network, but the variety of mazes and games makes up for this shortcoming. Game play is smooth and suffers little or no degradation when playing with a full compliment of enemies. Fortunately the game is won or lost through scoring and not through attrition. This means that even when you get blasted, you re-appear somewhere else where you can better your team. Super Maze Wars is an excellent network program that is easy to learn and easy to use for all participants. I liken it to an outstanding game of computer-based “tag.”
Marathon
Pathways into Darkness was indeed a ground breaking game for the Mac, and now, those same creators (Bungie Software) have given us Marathon. An exciting fast paced virtual reality world where you are battling strange creatures in a life and death situation. Incredible smooth textured graphics and flowing game play will most likely make this the game of the year. But with that aside, there is another aspect to Marathon that has head-to-head junkies like myself salivating profusely. That is, of course, head-to-head network play that allows up to eight to fight it out over either AppleTalk or Ethernet. This part of the game has nothing to do with the story otherwise, but instead puts you into a fire fight with whomever else is lurking on your network.
The concept in Net Marathon is easy, KILL. The final version of the game will include some 10 net levels in which to play on. Although it hasn’t been released yet, Marathon is rapidly becoming a phenomenom (because of the demo). It could very well be the best network game ever when it is released later this year.
F/A-18 Hornet
When Graphic Simulations released Hellcats over the Pacific it set the flight simulator market on the Mac on edge, but many clamored for head-to-head dog fighting. The incredibly smooth graphics and animation brought to us in Hellcats were carried over to F/A-18 Hornet, and the wishes of many were answered with the inclusion of network play. Hornet can be played over an AppleTalk network, and up to four players can join. There are six network mission that include collaborative play, team play, and every man for himself play! One of the knocks against Hornet is that when dog-fighting other players a missile launched from several miles away can take somebody out without the two players ever making visual contact. This is of course realistic, but doesn’t always make for a barrel of fun if a great dog fight is what you are hoping for. The ability to work together towards a common goal is probably the best aspect of network play on Hornet.
Links Pro
You might think networking a golf game might be a little boring, but it is actually quite fun. Links Pro allows you to network up to eight players at the same time using an AppleTalk network. It also works flawlessly under ARA. One of the unique features in Links Pro is the ability to chat with your opponents in real time using a chat window. This adds to the enjoyment of the game as you wait for other players to take their shot.
Getting set-up for network play is fairly easy. Once you’ve established a network connection, one player must “host” a game while the others “join” in. The person hosting chooses the golf course and rules of play.
Combining excellent graphics, wonderful gameplay, and awesome network play, Links is a must for any net game addict. FOUR!
