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CONFLICT: MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT: MIDDLE EAST (CME) from SSI pits the Israelis against the Arabs. It is historically accurate in scope, since Jordan is present but not participating. There are two basic scenario choices: historical 1973 and hypothetical 199?. (This review is based on the IBM version.) CME is a basic war game. Movement is still based on hexes. Units are given movement allowances and, depending on unit type and terrain, units can move to the maximum distance listed. Sometimes, however, slight inconsistencies appear. For example, an artillery unit has a movement of 12 as does the Mech Infantry unit stacked with it. You move the Infantry unit on a road 12 hexes. You then move the artillery unit on the same road and it will only go 11 hexes. There is no obvious answer in the manual as to why this occurs. Combat is straightforward: You stack up to two units in a hex; surround an enemy unit/stack if you can; and bring your artillery to within three hexes of the target hex. In turn, the computer opponent brings anything and everything to bear on your units. Attack/defend points are calculated and a "die" is rolled. Combat between units is accompanied by units having explosions on top of its icon and sound effects. Combat results are pure board game: You kill your opponent(s), they kill you; they retreat, you retreat; or nothing happens. Combat Strength values are deducted from the units involved, if they aren't killed outright. Eventually, the units run out of value and die. What is interesting is that the player can combine units into "super" units, at a penalty of decreasing combat readiness. This is the only way around the arbitrary two-unit stacking limit. There are limitations, however: You cannot add an unlimited number of dissimilar units, say, two different APCs, tanks, or artillery. But you can strip out artillery from a mechanized brigade and add more tanks or infantry. The player can (and should) assign tactical air missions: Strike, Interdiction, Close Air Support, and Air Superiority. The Israelis have better equipment and pilots; the Arabs, more of both. The manual suggests that you concentrate in the early days on SAM suppression and Interdiction missions, then on Airfield attacks and Interdiction, until you control the air. Then, if you last that long, your remaining a/c have only to deal with the organic SAM/AAA of the ground units you attack. I have several problems with the combat results in the air campaign; the Arabs seem just too good at any level above pushover. But this may be only an "interface" problem rather than a mathematical problem. It just seems that the Arab AFs survive too long under prolonged airfield assault. CME for the IBM comes on one 5-1/4" disk, and is installed on a hard drive by typing: A:\Install. For those who have a 3-1/2" drive as your A:, CME will load from your B: drive. Installation is simple and straightforward. It takes approximately three to four minutes to load on a 20MHz 386 machine. CME's manual is 42 pages plus cover, and is required for an "ownership" check at the start of each game: You must type in the appropriate word from the manual. The booklet is divided into: six chapters of rules; four chapters of notes on such things as solitaire and two-player play; scenario and victory conditions; and Player and Designer notes. There are also six appendices covering Icons, Equipment Descriptions, 1975 order of battle and appearance, 199? order of battle and appearance, a list of abbreviations, and the formulae used to resolve combat. The chapters on loading and starting the game are for the Amiga as well as MS-DOS versions. Commands given here refer to the IBM version, if there is a difference. CME is controlled by either the keyboard and a mouse (if available). The interface is straightforward, though there are one or two places where a little more (or even less) color would make a beginner's life easier. It is difficult to differentiate between choices on the main menu bar. The graphics are nothing out of the ordinary, typical of past SSI offerings. CONFLICT: MIDDLE EAST is a fun game, and can hold your attention. At the higher levels, CME is a real challenge and is a good value. However, it is _not_ "the" Middle East game, so experienced players and students of the period and/or area should take a very close look at this program before buying. CONFLICT: MIDDLE EAST is published and distributed by Strategic Simulations, Inc.