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@4E@ N E W S L E T T E R @0E@
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
MICROPROSE NEWS
Volume 3
Number 3
Summer, 1993
* NFL Coaches Club: Football Delivers The Real NFL To PCs
MicroProse, the company famous for its realistic, exciting
simulations of modern day combat, is turning its attention to
the most brutal, violent behavior of all: professional football.
NFL Coaches Club Football, due this fall, promises to do for
football games what the original F-15 Strike Eagle did for air
combat games, show that the action can be realistic without
sacrificing fun.
"We decided to do a football game because we couldn't find a
football game out there that felt right," explained Ed Fletcher,
designer of NFL Coaches Club Football. Ed has a strong history
of sports game design, including the critically acclaimed Wayne
Gretzky Hockey. "NFL Coaches Club Football uses the latest 3-D
rendering technology and sprite scaling to give you unlimited
angles of view and limitless possibilities for movement, while
our comprehensive AIand physical modeling churn in the background
to make sure the play is realistic." Ed stresses that NFL
Coaches Club Football sacrifices nothing to achieve its startling
realism. "The great thing about football is that all of the vast
detail we've incorporated into the game, including actual
human physics of running, body movement, and collisions, goes
on in the background. The player never has to deal with it."
NFL Coaches Club Football uses the intricacies of physics to
produce a game with the true "feel" of football. "In our game,
a 180-pound running back can't bowl over a 250-pound lineman,
but he can شjuke' him with swift changes of speed and direction
that the lineman can't keep up with, just like in real football."
Stat lovers will revel in the game's comprehensive player
and team stats, and the ability to play the entire 1993
season, or let the computer calculate the results of some
games and then show you an action-packed "highlight film."
In fact, if the player's hard disk space permits, the game
will allow you to save highlights from the entire season.
When you don't feel like playing a computer, NFL Coaches Club
Football will allow human players to square off either
head-to-head or cooperatively (same team) on the same PC.
"NFL Coaches Club Football is the perfect game for two football
fans to play. It lets them try out their best ideas using the
real NFL teams they imagine using those strategies with,"
Ed said.
"One of the most innovative features of the game, however, is
the 3-D. By using 3-D technology and modeled players, we can
let you see the action from any angle you want. Other games
might let you see the action from one or two perspectives.
NFL Coaches Club Football will let you decide which viewpoint
you like best," Ed added.
* Demo Disk
For a sneak preview of the many great action features of
NFL Coaches Club Football, call MicroProse Direct at
(1-800-879-PLAY, weekdays 9am to 5pm) and ask about the NFL
Coaches Club Football Demo Disk. The demo disk carries a
suggested retail price of $3.99 (plus shipping & handling)
but is packed with many of the game's final features, including
3-D graphics, uniform designs, and coaching AI and playcalling.
"We think that once someone sees the demo disk they'll
understand why it took a simulation company to finally do
a football game right," said Product Manager Carl Knoch.
"NFLCoaches Club Football is as close as you can get to the
real hard-hitting action of the NFL without getting drafted."
Look for NFL Coaches Club Football to hit retail stores in late
September.
* Letters To The Editor
Congratulations re. the MicroProse Newsletter! It is a well-
formatted, comfortable piece to read. I am a 67 yr. old
retired N.Y.S. Game Warden, that is having a great time with
his new toy and workhorse, an IBM compatible, MGG/SYSTEM 386
DX 40. I like games. My favorite is Silent Service II, and
I'd like to know if you have any other sea games on tap-
Silent Service II takes me back to my WW 2 days, because
I've been to most of the places depicted in the program.
Everything about it is really great. Thank you very much
for helping me to be an 18 yr. old again.
Robert Stirling Eden, NY
Thanks for the praise, Robert! Silent Service II remains one
of most popular games, and its use of digitized graphics of
real World War II ships holds up well even with today's
technology. Another great naval simulation you should check
out is Task Force 1942, a vivid depiction of the surface naval
action surrounding the Solomon Islands campaign of World War II.
As for future sub simulations? Well, we can't talk about
projects too far down the pike, but let's just say we won't be
leaving you at sea for too long. , Ed.
Civilization is a wonderful game! I've been known to play it
all day (& night) long! Only one thing frustrates me: I can't
seem to run Civilization near as fast through Windows as I
can through DOS! - Isn't Civilization compatible with Windows?
What can I do to make Civilization run as lightning fast
through Windows 3.1? Please don't go out and tell me to buy
the Windows version of Civilization. Help!
James B. Horkman Austin, TX
The biggest problem with running the DOS version of
Civilization under Windows is that there's not enough free
memory (RAM that's not being used by the operating system or
by special drivers or TSRs) left over to equal the speed of
the DOS version. Unfortunately, James, the Windows version
of Civilization is really the only solution. The DOS version
just wasn't designed for maximum efficiency under Windows,
the memory constraints were too severe. , Ed.
* Attention Gaming User Groups: We Want You!
Do you belong to a gamers' user group in your area?
If so, then MicroProse wants to hear from your group.
MicroProse is interested in learning more about the gaming
user group community in hopes of serving that market better.
If you are a member of a gaming user group, send MicroProse a
copy of a recent user group newsletter (if one is available),
or some other official group publication.
If nothing like that is available, just send MicroProse
something on your group's letterhead, with the names of the
officers of your user group.
All information received is for MicroProse use only, and will
not be used as mailing list material for other companies.
Send your user group info to:
Customer Communications,
MicroProse Software, Inc.,
180 Lakefront Drive,
Hunt Valley, MD 21030-2245.
* Write to MicroProse News!
We want to know what you think about our company, our
products, and this newsletter.
Send correspondence to:
Newsletter Editor
* MicroProse News *
180 Lakefront Drive *
Hunt Valley, MD 21030-2245.
Submission guidelines are printed in the staff box at left.
Shorter letters have the best chance of being published.
Modem owners can save themselves a postage stamp by
uploading a letter to the editor to the MicroProse News
folder of the MicroProse BBS, (410) 785-1841.
Letters left here are not answered online. They are treated
as other, mailed, submissions.
* * Cyberpunk and Vampires Meet In MicroProse's New Deadly
Role-Playing Game: BloodNet:
Cyberpunk: a genre of science fiction set in a gritty,
urban area in the near future featuring high-tech computer
interfacing, oppressive megacorporations, cybernetics,
and the dark, atmospheric conventions of classic film noir.
Vampires: sensual, gothic, and terrifying; a mesmerizing
combination of allure and danger, of trust and treachery.
Combine these two powerful and popular genres and you have
BloodNet, MicroProse's upcoming role-playing game of a not-
too-distant future where, according to designer Lawrence
Schick (Task Force 1942, Sword of the Samurai), "things
have gotten real bad." In BloodNet, you actually play
the part of a vampire. Ransom Stark is a hacker mercenary
afflicted with "the curse" and desperate to get rid of it.
Stark is up against evil vampires eager to fully indoctrinate
him into the "night life"; as well as a sinister
megacorporation with a frightening agenda of its own.
One of the highlights of BloodNet is the strong atmospheric
feel generated by the game's unusual graphics. "We call it
Hallucinographic Art," explains Lawrence. "It's a
surrealistic look achieved by taking realistic graphics and
deliberately distorting them to near nightmarish proportions.
The graphics still look solid and real, but have an
additional, dream-like quality."
The character generation system is also unique. Players
create a character by answering a series of questions that
guide the character's history and talents. After the
questioning, the player can further modify the character
by adjusting the numbers themselves.
The action takes place in New York City, now a dark, urban
battleground of technology and corruption, but according
to Lawrence, the player "actually encounters three worlds.
There's the world of the streets and the underground of
the city, the world of the megacorporations and their
rigid hierarchy, and the abstract world of cyberspace.
Stark must succeed in all three to achieve his goals."
It's the world of cyberspace that will likely prove
most fascinating. Cyberspace is a virtual-reality
generated depiction of the global information network.
Travelers in cyberspace must constantly be aware of
rogue viruses, security scans, and even other hostile
travelers represented as scintillating pieces of data.
"We wanted to combine two popular, compatible genres
and create a product that was better than just the sum
of its parts," Schick said. "With BloodNet, I think
we've done that. The game succeeds because it's fun and
because there's so much new ground being broken."
Look for BloodNet in retail stores this fall.
* * Rex Nebular Available For The Macintosh!
Macintosh users can now live life in the fast lane of
interstellar adventurer and space stud Rex Nebular,
with the release of Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender
Bender this fall for the Macintosh.
Rex Nebular is an animated graphic adventure placing
you in the persona of Rex Nebular, who finds himself on
a world populated entirely by women. The game features
hand-drawn and digitized art, dazzling animation and
rotoscoping technologies, and thrilling sound effects
and music.
Hints for solving the game's many puzzles are available
on the MicroProse Hint Line, 1-900-933-PLAY.
* * Pirates! Gold Setting Sail For Your PC and Sega Genesis
PC and Sega Genesis owners can both take to the high
seas with Pirates! Gold, the update to, Pirates!,
Micro-Prose's award-winning adventure game of 16th Century
swashbuckling.
Pirates! Gold takes the premise and essential gameplay of
the original 1986 Sid Meier classic and allows it to take
advantage of 1990s graphics and sound technology, and
processor power. The game lets you seek fame and
fortune as a swashbuckling pirate captain on the Caribbean
Sea, with all the conventions of the genre thrown in:
dazzling swordfights, bombastic ship-to-ship cannon battles,
buried treasure, beautiful women, and, of course, plenty
of fearsome enemy pirates.
Both the PC and Sega version of the game promise many
hours of swashbuckling fun. Here's a look at the features
of both.
* Sega Version
The powerful graphics capabilities of the Sega Genesis
make it ideal for a game as graphically rich as Pirates!
Gold. Beautiful full-color art abounds, and the
swordfighting sequences rival the best animations in
any video games, ever. You'll travel as a pirate
to over 40 different towns and ports along the fabled
Spanish Main, gradually amassing strength, wealth and
power. Pirates! Gold lets you control all the fun aspects
of being a pirate: navigating the ships of your fleet,
orchestrating thunderous cannon-fire during ship to
ship battles, and testing the mettle of your metal in
blazing swordfights that let you use actual fencing
techniques!
The Sega version of Pirates! Gold, due this fall, also
lets you re-create any of 10 famous authentic pirate
quests from history, including the legendary exploits
of Francis Drake and Henry Morgan.
* PC Version
The PC version of Pirates! Gold, now available, represents
a vast updating of the original game. The original
Pirates! let you sail to over 50 different cities along
the Spanish Main, but the area around the Gulf of Mexico
was hardly represented. Now, Biloxi, Mississippi has
been added to the game, as have Tampico, Jalapa, Charleston,
and a bunch of other cities as well. In effect, the campaign
area has been expanded by thirty percent.
Pirates! Gold has also added land, shallows and shoals to
sea battles. Ships can run aground, becoming immobilized,
suffering sail damage and perhaps even sinking.
One of the best features of Pirates! was the realistic
swordfighting action drawn from actual fencing techniques
and the graceful choreography of classic swashbuckling
movies. The fencing AI in Pirates! Gold has been enhanced
to make it even more realistic. Enemy swordsmen will
follow patterns of attack and defense, a simple pattern
might be thrust high, thrust medium, thrust low, parry,
repeat, for example. At higher difficulty levels the
patterns become more complex, and your opponents change
patterns periodically, giving you less time to learn them.
The original Pirates! was done in EGA. Pirates! Gold
supports both VGA and Super VGA. And greater graphics
power means enhanced, breathtaking artwork that is not
just scenic, but also an integral part of the game.
Pirates! Gold also features a full musical score and
dozens of nifty sound effects to further draw you into
the vibrant world of the swashbuckling adventurer.
But most importantly, for both games, is the fact that
Pirates! Gold does not attempt to change those features
of the original Pirates! which worked so well.
Sid Meier's original gameplay is still largely intact,
and as addictive as ever. Pirates! Gold, for the Sega
Genesis and the PC, will bring legions of swashbucklers,
old and new, back to the high seas again.
* MicroProse BBS Is Ready To Meet Your Gaming Needs
If you're looking to expand your MicroProse gaming horizons,
you might want to check out MicroProse Online, our company
BBS.
In addition to the latest patches and game revisions, the
MicroProse BBS contains plenty of other fascinating materials.
A new Online Ads section allows you to download full-color
GIF files with box art, screen shots, and detailed copy on
upcoming games. There's also a new section of MicroProse
Wallpaper, full-color game screens saved in .BMP format
for Windows users, and as GIFs for Mac owners that can be
used as backgrounds for your computer desktop.
MicroProse Online also contains monthly interviews with
prominent MicroProse game designers, programmers, artists,
and sound technicians. It's a great way to get behind-the-
scenes information on the company and our products.
The MicroProse BBS is run by Sysops Quentin Chaney,
Brian Hellesen, and Jim McConkey.
MicroProse is also available on all major consumer online
services, including Compuserve, Prodigy, America Online,
GEnie, Delphi, and FidoNet (see box below left).
To reach the MicroProse BBS via 1200/2400/9600/14.4 baud
modem, dial (410) 785-1841.
* Coping With Technology
Often you will have the RAM requirement stated on the
package, but your game still will not load? Why is that?
Sometimes it's because of the difference between how much
RAM a computer has, and how much free memory it has.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is a measure of how much total
"brainpower" a computer has to deal with performing all
its functions.
When you start up a computer, it loads into RAM the
operating system, any special drivers you may have
(for CD-ROMs, etc.), and any other TSRs (Terminate and
Stay Ready) programs (such as a calendar) you have
installed. Whatever is left in original RAM after all
these items are loaded is free memory.
You can check your free memory at any time with the
DOS command "MEM".
MicroProse games typically require between 570 and
600k of free memory. If a game fails to load, check
first to be sure you have whatever free memory requirement
is specified on the package or the game's technical
supplement.
* Special Notice!
The phone number listed in the Pirates! Gold READ.ME
file for Orchid Technologies is incorrect.
The number you should call to reach Orchid is (510) 683-0540.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
* MicroProse Online!
MicroProse provides Upcoming News, Latest Versions, Updates,
and Technical Support on the following Online Services.
All are staffed by Technical Representatives Quentin Chaney
and Brian Hellesen.
America Online: Industry Connection,
Keyword "MicroProse." Address: MicroProse
Compuserve: Game Publishers Forum, "Go GAMBPUB."
Address: MicroProse, 76004,2223
Delphi: GameSIG. Address: MicroProse
GEnie: Scorpia RT. Address: MicroProse
MCIMail: Address: MicroProse
PC-Link: Computer Forum, Keyword "MicroProse"
Address: MicroProse
Prodigy: Game BB. Address: XHFK15D
Promenade: Industry Connection, Keyword "MicroProse".
Address: MicroProse
Q-Link: Computer Forum, MicroProse Section. Address: MPSLabs
Internet: Address: 76004.2223@CompuServe.Com
* Notes From Customer Service/ Technical Support
Pirates! Gold
* Remember that in Pirates! Gold, like the original
Pirates!, you can only save games while in port. To save
a game, click on the cabin, and then on the mirror in the
cabin.
* If you convert the game's 256-color graphics to 16 colors,
be sure you type the following before running the game
for the first time: CHVER 16 . This tells Pirates! Gold
which version of the game's graphics you will be using.
* Be sure to read the READ.ME file that is part of the
installation sequence. The READ.ME answers a lot of
common technical issues and can help you nip potential
difficulties in the bud. If you encounter a problem
during play, going back to the READ.ME is always a good
idea. You can get to the READ.ME text by running the
install program (you can launch the program without having
to actually install the game).
* The game's documentation refers to a map of the Spanish
Main. This map is built into the game itself and is
available on screen by clicking on the globe in the
captain's quarters. It is not packaged in the game.
Return of the Phantom
* If you get an error message beginning with "POPUP
PRESERVE-" while rescuing Christine from the sarcophagus,
it means that you don't have enough free memory or that
your memory is configured incorrectly. A workaround
for this problem is to play this section of the game with
the sound turned off.
* MicroProse Phone Numbers
Customer Service (410) 771-1151 (Weekdays, 9am-5pm, EST)
Direct Ordering 1-800-879-PLAY (Weekdays, 9am-5pm, EST)
MicroProse BBS (410) 785-1841 (7 Days; 24 hours)
MicroProse Hints 1-900-933-PLAY (7 Days; 24 hours)
* Recent Releases
* Return of the Phantom IBM-PC/compatibles
The legendary Phantom of the Opera is dead, or is he?
Find out in this thrilling animated graphic adventure
filled with classical theatrical drama and suspense.
Perfect for introductory and experienced gamers.
* The Legacy: Realm of Horror IBM-PC/compatibles
You've inherited an old mansion with some rather hostile
occupants. In this terrifying role-playing adventure
you'll move through the house via first-person 3-D
perspective and attempt to solve the many mysteries
behind the house's deadly evil.
* Air Duel IBM-PC/compatibles
Pit classic fighting planes from different eras against
each other in this amazing introductory combat flight sim.
Air Duel lets you fly against the computer or a friend
via modem in planes from World Wars I and II as well as
more modern American, Russian, and British fighter jets.
* MicroProse CD Packs #1-#3 IBM-PC/compatibles
CD-ROMDrive Required
The Jet Pack includes F-15 Strike Eagle II, its Operation
Desert Storm scenario set, and F-117A Stealth Fighter.
The Chopper Pack consists of Gunship 2000 and its Islands
& Ice scenario set. The World War II Pack features
B-17 Flying Fortress and Silent Service II.
* F-15 Strike Eagle III CD-ROM IBM-PC/compatibles
CD-ROM Drive Required
This state-of-the-art combat flight sim is now available
in an enhanced, CD-ROM version that features an online
history of the F-15, an enhanced introduction rendered
with CAD systems, and an online radar/weapons tutorial.
To order, or for more information on any MicroProse product,
call 1-800-879-PLAY (weekdays, 9am to 5pm, EST).
* Master Of Orion:: The Next Strategy Classic
MicroProse has established itself as a leader in
computer strategy gaming, through products like
Civilization, Railroad Tycoon, Command HQ and Global
Conquest. Now, Master of Orion, releasing in August,
promises to enhance that reputation even further.
Featured in a Special Sneak Preview last issue under
the working title of Star Masters, Master of Orion is
a complex, involving and addictive strategy game of
exploration and conquest in outer space. Players guide
either a human or alien race as it expands to the
stars and competes for resources, strategic positioning,
and living space with other alien races, each with
special abilities, negotiation strategies, and biases.
The game has already won over much of the industry press,
who have seen beta versions of the game. One reviewer,
Alan Emrich of Computer Gaming World, is especially vocal
in his praise. "Master of Orion has that crucial
something that makes for a wonderfully addictive game
" he said.
The goal of the game is simple: control a majority of
the known galaxy and eliminate all who stand in the way.
As the immortal ruler of your race, you make all
decisions regarding how planetary resources are
allocated, where star fleets will be deployed, which
races to develop, and plans for expansion. The game
really takes off, however, once contact with alien
races is made. Now complex strategies must be
formulated to manage diplomacy, sabotage, espionage,
trade, and interstellar combat.uctive worlds,
focusing technological development, and plans for
expansion. The game really takes off, however, once
contact with alien races is made. Now complex
strategies must be formulated to manage diplomacy,
sabotage, espionage, trade, and interstellar combat.
"Anyone who tries Master of Orion will see that it
has the right stuff," Emrich says. "When the jury
comes back on this game, I suspect it will find a
place near the top of its genre."
* Railroad Tycoon Deluxe Enhances Original
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon captured the imagination
of strategy gamers and railroading buffs the world
over, and won many major excellence in gaming awards.
Now, Railroad Tycoon Deluxe enhances the reputation of
MicroProse's fascinating simulation of the Golden Age
of Railroads.
Railroad Tycoon puts the player in the role of a railroad
entrepreneur at the dawn of the Industrial Age. Competing
against famous rail barons like Vanderbilt and J.P. Morgan,
the player must expand his railroad's territory, open new
markets, stave off competition, and astutely manage his
company's business dealings and stock transactions.
Railroad Deluxe picks up where the original left off,
adding new theatres, more trains, and better graphics.
The total number of theatres for the game is now six:
North America, Eastern U.S., Western U.S., South America,
Africa, and Europe. Each theatre has its own unique
resources and terrain features and calls for different
strategies to succeed.
Eleven new trains have been added as well, to give
players added flexibility in building consists and
hauling cargo.
The most noticeable enhancement in Railroad Deluxe is
the upgrade to high-res VGA graphics, giving the game
a look more indicative of 1990s graphics technology.
For more information on Railroad Tycoon Deluxe, call
MicroProse Direct at 1-800-879-PLAY, weekdays 9am to 5pm.
* Airborne Ranger: Delivers Intense Combat Behind Enemy
Lines For Super Nintendo Action Fans
Airborne Ranger is different from most MicroProse combat
games.
First, it doesn't deal with state-of-the-art military
technology. Airborne Ranger puts you in the role of a
lone combat soldier on dangerous missions behind enemy lines.
Second, it doesn't deal with destruction in an abstract,
impersonal sense. The action in Airborne Ranger is fast
and furious and, like any good Sylvester Stallone movie,
the body count is always high.
"Airborne Ranger is good old fashioned blood and guts
soldiering," says Bruce Milligan, designer of the
Super Nintendo version of the popular PC game. "The
action is continuous and the demand on your reflexes
is great. It's a great way to relieve stress and beat
the heck out of a lot of people in a short time."
Players undertake 21 progressively difficult missions,
from rescues to sabotages to intelligence gathering,
in grassland, Arctic, or desert terrain. Each mission
packs a lot of thrills and challenge, and can be
completed in a reasonable amount of time.
The SNES version has plenty of features to set it apart
from most cartridge combat games. A three-quarters
view of the action lets players see more than in
traditional cartridge games, and players have a full
360 degrees of action as their Ranger can walk, run,
and crawl in eight directions.
In addition, colorfully detailed, rotoscoped animations
and graphics take full advantage of the graphics
capabilities of the SNES and show the most realistic
human movement ever depicted in a combat game.
But probably the most thrilling aspect of the game are
its incredible sound effects. From the spray of bullets,
roar of explosions, and the shouts and cries of combat,
the digitized stereo sound effects bring home the action
in a new, exciting way. "Because the enemy soldiers
in the game react intelligently to what you do," Bruce
says, "each mission is always different. You can play
these missions time and time again and none of them loses
their entertainment value." Look for Airborne Ranger
this fall for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
* MicroProse News
Publisher: Ed Kelly
Editor: Gary Ames
Online Editor: Quentin Chaney
This file is also available in the NEW File Area for
downloading.
Thanks!