18th Airborne

18th Airborne description

Interesting "military" arcade strategy of Taiwanese origin, something resembling released three years later, Return Fire. The specific plot in this game, thank God, no, the essence of the gameplay – the two armies of today or the near future, consisting mainly of military equipment, fighting among themselves. The ultimate goal in each level (there are seven, and you can choose any) – the defeat of the enemy's main base. Despite the fact that formally in front of us actually still arcade game, its gameplay is quite complex, and it is in Chinese, so it will be discussed in detail.

So, our task is to capture the main base (a at each level there is not only the main but also other databases). Each base has a protective field – current level is indicated by a green bar at the bottom of the screen; as soon as the base is attacked – this strip begins to flicker and to wane. To attack you need to use the technique, which in this game should be created (but, of course, is not a real strategy, so take care about the resources here will not need). Initially there are only planes, which act as transporters, transporting troops (which is not), and tankers, delivering on the captured base fuel, and in this plane we control at the beginning of the game. Is the fuel they actually have to collect, also they can and should bomb the enemy base. At any time you can view the overall map of the level at which the enemy aircraft will be marked with squares of a particular color.

After selecting the type and purpose of equipment (go to this menu by using the keys Enter or Space) you must wait until the accumulated need for its manufacture an amount of money (currently their number is displayed on the wrench, and need to create technology – under it). If money is no object, it is necessary to bring the cursor to the icon with the wrench and press "5" or "s", then Enter/space (the plane will open to receive equipment, which begins to move), then send it to the desired location and unload by pressing "5"/"s".

As already mentioned, the game is not only the main base, but the intermediate, and to achieve advantages over the enemy should they capture. Each captured base gives us twenty pieces of money every second (!). In addition, once the base is captured, it is already possible to refuel and make and take the technique to throw it the next base. However, to repair the equipment (the game has that option) only the primary database.

The types of equipment in the game is the following: warriors, normal and dual military cars, tanks, planes, mines and missiles. Mines explode along with any equipment in the event of hitting her, the missiles also explode some time after their installation at a particular point along with all appliances nearby. All other units have a clear list of possibilities: for example, tanks can protect friendly vehicles and attack the enemy the basic and intermediate base, but can't guard his main base, while the infantry can not attack on the main enemy base, but can protect their main base. To implement the direct seizure of foreign intermediate bases can only be infantry. For each of these actions has a corresponding icon: figure base, means the ability of equipment to attack it, little – to attack and defend intermediate base, crossed shield and tank to destroy enemy vehicles, and so on, it is possible to know immediately who it's supposed to.

The graphics in the game are not particularly varied, but very, very cute and belongs to the category of "nothing in excess"; it should also be noted that each of the seven levels of the game is really different from the other. There is a possibility to play together on one computer, then the screen is split with a vertical line into two parts. And yet there is just great music and very beautiful screensaver.

But the final verdict to stand still is very difficult. The game is, no doubt, interesting, but sometimes extremely difficult, and it is not clear which target audience it is designed for very simple and dynamic for a serious and thoughtful strategy, too complex for the arcade. Rather, it is one of the most striking examples of why a Taiwanese game (even those that were originally available to the whole world like this) never been that popular in the "Euro-American" world: apparently, just not everyone can understand them. But to try, especially if you love really difficult and rare games, yet is required to be you get?..

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Source: Archive.org