Category: Computer and Video Games
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Old Gamers Never Die: Pointers for First-Time Players of ‘Crusade in Europe’
Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. – General Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary…
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Classic Computer Game Review: ‘Crusade in Europe’
Crusade in Europe (1985) Genre: War/Strategy/Historical Simulation Setting: World War II, Northwest Europe Campaign (D-Day through Ardennes Counteroffensive, 1944-1945) Designed by: Sid Meier and Ed Bever, Ph.D Publisher: MicroProse Software, Inc. In 1985, MicroProse Software, Inc. published Crusade in Europe[1], a World War II-themed strategy game that allows you to play the role of a…
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On the War in Ukraine: Russian Cruiser ‘Moskva’ Sinks, Moscow and Kyiv Have Conflicting Narratives About the Incident
Putin’s War Suffers Setbacks As you probably know, Russia’s war in Ukraine – a blatant act of naked aggression that Vladimir Putin’s government euphemistically calls a “special military operation – is not going well for Moscow or the much-vaunted Russian military. Instead of a 21st Century blitzkrieg and a quick victory culminating in Russia’s capture…
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Old Gamers Never Die: Reliving Pickett’s Charge in ‘Ultimate General: Civil War’
“The Civil War defined us as what we are and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things… It was the crossroads of our being, and it was a hell of a crossroads.” ― Shelby Foote, The Civil War: A Narrative If you are a regular reader of A Certain Point…
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Old Gamers Never Die: Hunting Soviet Sub Tenders in Arctic Ocean is No Cakewalk in ‘Cold Waters’
The Time: 13 November 1984, 1300 Lima The Place: The Arctic Ocean The Mission: Intercept and sink a Soviet Don-class (Soviet designation Project 310 Batur) submarine and any REDFLT submarines it might be replenishing and/or rearming. These sub tenders are high-value targets and are likely to have support from submarines, surface ships, and naval aircraft. If you…
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Old Gamers Never Die, or: Reliving the Liberation of Europe with MicroProse’s 1987 Classic War Game ‘Crusade in Europe’
Back in the late 1980s, when I was still a journalism student at Miami-Dade Community College in South Florida, I used to go to the nearby Miami International Mall to do a bit of shopping. My favorite places then were Waldenbooks and a software retailer called Babbage’s.[1] Before 1987, most of my trips to the…
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Old Gamers Never Die: A Discussion of ‘Strike from the Sea’ in ‘Cold Waters’
Background Briefing If you’re a regular reader of A Certain Point of View, Too, you probably know that I like to play – on occasion – a computer video game called Cold Waters. Published four years ago by Australian game design studio Killerfish Games, Cold Waters is a Cold War-turns-hot submarine simulator that its designers…
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Old Gamers Never Die: A Discussion on ‘Beating the Odds’ in ‘Cold Waters’
Background Briefing Cold Waters, the 2017 Cold War-turned-hot submarine simulation developed and published four years ago by Australian game studio Killerfish Games (Atlantic Fleet, War on the Sea) is one of my favorite computer games. Inspired by the 1988 MicroProse game Red Storm Rising, Cold Waters puts you in command of a nuclear-powered submarine from…
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Old Gamers Never Die, or: Discussion on One of the Tougher ‘Cold Waters’ Missions
Conn, Sonar: New contact bearing 0-4-5, designated Sierra 1. Conn, Sonar: New contact bearing 0-4-7, designated Sierra 2. Make depth 1-2-0 feet, aye. Conn, Sonar: Sierra 1 is classified as…escort. Set course 0-4-0, aye. Conn, Weps: Tube 1 loaded. Part One: A Bit of Background If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know…