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Ogre (War Strategy Simulation)
Compatibility: 64K Apple II series
Requirements: One disk drive; joystick or mouse optional
By the mid-21st century effective countermeasures have rendered tactical nukes virtually useless. Taken along with the development of bi-phase carbide ("BPC") armor and atomic engines the inevitable result is that tanks once again rule the battlefield. To be sure, there are tanks and then there are TANKS. The former, truly awesome by 20th century standards, include the massive "heavy tank", long-reach "missile tank", and fast-moving ground effect vehicle ("GEV").
There is really only one TANK: the cybernetic attack machine. Up to 50 meters in length and wrapped in three meters of BPC plate; once launched these unmanned juggernauts recognize just one command. That command is "Destroy!"; and in the 21st century the TANK is called an "OGRE".
The "Ogre" battlefield is a 15x22 scrollable grid of which about half is visable at any time. Rubble and craters restrict or block movement, thus giving each field a unique character. Each contest involves three major phases: loading-in or design of a battlefield, defensive player placement of units and command post, entry of the Ogre and subsequent battle.
Like many wargames, Origin System's Ogre recognizes varying levels of victory. In the single-player version your primary concern is to prevent the destruction of your command post (normally placed somewhere near the top of the battlefield, farthest from Ogre's entry point). Only if a sizable chunck of your forces are in-tact and the Ogre does not escape can you claim "complete victory". (A nice distinction, since the Ogre is much more likely to "escape" all over your position, reducing it to rubble.) In a two-player game the Ogre player must destroy everything to claim an unblemished win.
Of course, as defender you are not exactly without resources. Along with the tanks already mentioned, you may deploy long-range (but non-movable) howitzers and BPC armor-suited infantry units. In fact, though "standard game" battlefield's, infantry, and armor units are defined for scenarios involving the Mark III and even more powerful Mark V Ogre's, the program itself imposes no restrictions upon numbers or placement of any unit or upon battlefield characteristics. Add the option to set the "skill level" of the Ogre you face (in the one-player game), and the tactical possibilities are endless.
The game is supplied with manuals, reference card, and a plastic clip-on radiation exposure badge which, Origin claims, "really works". (I decided not to test it.) Setup is a snap, especially if you start with one of the pre-designed battlefields; and explicit pull-down menus guide you through each phase. With smooth, clear graphics, sound effects, and convenient, uncomplicated controls, Ogre ammounts to the niftiest tactical wargaming kit ever.
Available from Electronic Arts: 2755 Campus Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403. (415) 571-7171. $34.95
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