GAMEBYTE video game magazine featuring AIR FORCE COMMANDER

AIR FORCE COMMANDER by Impressions

Reviewed by David Pipes

Impressions is a fairly new company on the American market, and as such

its products are not quite as well known to gamers as the more

established firms. But if Air Force Commander is any indication, they

will soon be known for interesting strategy games with solid gameplay.

Air Force Commander is another wargame set in the Middle East. Having

said that, there is really no other quite like it. It is not turn-based

like usual SSI-style wargames, but instead goes for continuous, pseudo-

realtime play. It uses no hexes, depending on a huge scrolling map of the

entire region. Supply is not abstracted, but depends entirely on physical

factories, oil refineries and the like which are visible on the map.

There are over 20 scenarios included with the game, and mention of a WWII

battle disk (which I have not seen). The scenarios cover situations

ranging from two small Persian Gulf states feuding with a few squadrons of

aircraft to a few massive, regional conflicts complete with superpower

interventions. The scenarios are rated quite well for difficulty.

The map is one of the central features of the game, and can be viewed in a

number of different ways. It is drawn with clear graphics which are more

utilitarian than gaudy. It is easy to tell the different installations

from each other, and military units are also pretty easy to distinguish

from one another. Since the area is largely desert, the map may seem a

little sparse at first, but this turns out to be an advantage during play

- too many fancy designs would clutter the screen and reduce the reaction

time which the player needs. It also allows the game to run quite quickly

- I have to cut the speed on my 486/33 in order to have a chance, so this

game will do well on most machines which are currently in use.

The map can be viewed as from a satellite, giving a regional look at the

conflict, or it can be zoomed to close in on a specific area. At first

the player will be scrolling around like crazy trying to find targets, but

a short look at the tutorial in the manual will make this much easier.

Once mastered, the map views prove very useful, allowing both closeup

analysis of targets and defenses, and wide area coverage to examine the

general threat situation.

The game itself is one of resources and timing. Each side has a fixed set

of military units - aircraft (bombers, fighters, helicopters and AWACS),

air defense units (SAMs, guns and the like) and strategic assets (cruise

missles and similar long-distance rockets). Each side also has a number

of cities which must be defended, and fixed installations such as radar

stations, factories, oil wells, refineries and other strategic facilities.

All of these elements must be handled correctly in order to win the

scenario; and all the while, your enemy is attacking you in real-time.

Once you see the interactions going on around you, even the smallest

scenario is no longer simple. This is the beauty of this game: a number

of seemingly simple elements are combined into a surprisingly challenging

whole.

Each unit uses supplies to function: fuel, ammunition and spare parts.

The supplies come from the corresponding refineries, factories and depots

actually on the map. They in turn must receive raw materials from other

areas on the map in order to maintain production. Bases and depots have

stockpiles of some goods, in case of an interruption in the supplies.

In order to operate a unit, it must be activated, which means it begins

chowing down fuel and ammunition. Even if just sits on the runway waiting

for trouble. So you can't just activate everything and wait for the

enemy. In addition, units take time to move around or become useful for

combat, so the player has to actually anticipate the areas which will see

action, in order to defend them well. Likewise, the intensity of attacks

must reflect the availability of supplies; sometimes a long campaign of

continuous small attacks is all the supply net will sustain. Self-control

is a necessity.

As the game progresses, the enemy will be attempting to accomplish three

goals, just like the player. First, of course, is complete air supremacy.

This is judged by the ratio of available aircraft on each side. Lose

enough planes and all the supplies in the world will not save you. This

seems to be the most common cause of victory or defeat.

The second possible game-ending situation is massive destruction of

resource centers. Once you run out of supplies, you can't fight anymore.

So both sides will usually devote some attacks to the enemy production

sites, in hopes of forcing an otherwise powerful opponent to shut down

its' forces prematurly.

Lastly, the player can win by demoralizing the civilian population. This

is a result of cumulative combat losses, destruction of resources and the

bombing of civilian centers like cities and water plants. This can prove

a surprisingly dangerous tactic, especially if the enemy neglects his

defenses in an attempt to overwhelm with attacks.

Thus, the player has to activate only the units needed, and only for as

long as they are needed. He needs to monitor damage and repair efforts,

and track the actual movements of opposing units. All of this at once.

This is the heart of the game, and it is indeed capable of rattling

anyone.

The players units have value beyond their resources. Fighters and bombers

are rated for effectiveness, defense, and offense, and have different

speeds. Radar units can see great distances, but move them too far away

from a defensive unit and they are history. Ground defenses are usually

quite good, but they eat supply like candy, weakening the player slowly

without even undergoing attacks. Unit functions must be balanced against

missions, another challenging problem as fatigue begins to overtake the

prime units and secondaries must be selected quickly.

All of these factors come together in a very satisfying way. Fighters can

be sent in a few minutes before bombers to scare away enemy patrols and

reduce their airborne radar coverage. Interceptors will then take off; if

they get through, the bombers will have to turn back or die. When the

bombers actually reach their targets, they can attack safely from high

altitude, or risk destruction in a low-level run. Attacks result in

satisfying explosions which alleviates the abstract feel of the planning.

I like the ebb and flow of the game. You can watch the approach of planes

and react, causing more changes, until both sides are fully committed and

the battle is temporarily out of your hands. Sometimes, units will sneak

around and come from odd directions, surprising the player with an attack

on a crucial installation. Fatigue takes a toll on units. Radar units

must be positioned forward before an attack, then guarded and pulled back

while your forces regroup for the next effort. Small mistakes mean the

loss of a plane or three; big ones will open massive holes in your

defenses through which the computers' forces will pour. This is a game of

constant concentration and no small nervousness, all the way until the

end.

The game is always played against the computer, but it has a good AI and

does very well. I do play at a fairly fast speed, which allows the

computer to take advantage of my mistakes, but it is quite capable even

when purposely slowed down. It seems to develop a plan and stick to it.

Impressions has done a good job with the enemy.

The graphics are perhaps a bit old-fashioned and sparse, but they are

functional and quite fast. This game would not really benefit by the

addition of flashy bitmaps and icons, so the minimalist approach is best.

Besides, the combat graphics are quite satisfying.

Sounds are used as cues to events. I use a Sound Blaster, and had no

troubles. Again, they are more functional than decorative, and help

concentration rather than break it.

The scenarios are varied, and represent all sizes and many types of

conflicts. Some are limited wars, others are desperate fights for

survival. They range from a few days to over a month, thus creating

different resource situations for the player to deal with. I found that

they all present a challenge.

The manuals are in black and white, and tend towards the utilitarian. But

they have one of the most useful short tutorials I've ever seen, and

plenty of information on the units and the region. This is the one area

that could be made more flashy and decorative, but then the price would go

up, so again the choice makes sense.

All things considered, this is a surprisingly engaging game. I have seen

a number of high-res graphics-rich games which were slow and had boring,

predictable play; this is a game with simple elements which combine to

form a very rich playing environment. For those who prefer a challenge

over eye-candy reaction tests, this game is a winner. I would

particularly recommend it to people who have been playing action or

arcade-style games, and have not really tried wargames. The real-time

aspects provide a feeling of action and immediacy usually missing from

wargames. In short, this game will appeal to boardgamers and arcade

freaks alike; quite an achievement. Impressions is off to a good start.

Air Force Commander requires 640k RAM and VGA graphics. A mouse and hard

disk are recommended, and it supports Ad-Lib and Sound Blaster cards. I

found it to run very fast on a 486/33, so I will recommend it for a 16MHz

machine. I would welcome comment from any of you AT users out there, as

I suspect it will even do well on those; I just have no hard info on that

yet. The game contains both 3.5" and 5.25" disks.

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