Carrier Force

Last updated
Carrier Force
Carrier Force 1983 game box.png
Developer(s) Gary Grigsby
Publisher(s) Strategic Simulations
Platform(s) Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64
Release1983
Genre(s) Computer wargame
Mode(s) Single-player

Carrier Force is a 1983 computer wargame published by Strategic Simulations for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, [1] and Commodore 64.

Contents

Carrier Force was Grigsby's fourth game. While he had started developing games part-time while working for the United States Department of Defense, he left to become a full-time game developer halfway through his third title, North Atlantic '86 .

Gameplay

Carrier Force is a computer wargame that simulates aircraft carrier warfare. [2]

Development

Carrier Force was the fourth game by designer Gary Grigsby. It was released in 1983, [3] the same year he debuted North Atlantic '86 . [4]

Reception

Tom Cheche reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World , and stated that "CF has been exhaustively researched, and beautifully produced. In many ways it is the kind of game that we had in mind several years ago when we were daydreaming about where the wargaming hobby was headed now that the computer had arrived." [2]

In a 1985 survey of computer wargames for Current Notes, M. Evan Brooks called Carrier Force "worth the effort for anyone desirous of learning about the period", but considered it "extremely slow in execution" and saw it as having historical errors. [6] In his similar 1989 survey, J. L. Miller of Computer Play found that the game was "hampered by very slow execution" and offered it a middling score. [5]

Reviews

Legacy

Grigsby decided to build on Carrier Force in his later game Carrier Strike . He told Electronic Games , "I liked the subject matter and, given the evolution in computer capability and my programming skills, I wanted to refine it." [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Excalibur</i> (video game) 1983 video game

Excalibur is a resource management strategy video game for Atari 8-bit computers published in 1983. It was designed by Chris Crawford and developed with the help of Larry Summers and Valerie Atkinson. Like Crawford's earlier Eastern Front (1941), Excalibur was released through the Atari Program Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Grigsby</span> Video game designer

Gary Grigsby is a designer and programmer of computer wargames. In 1997, he was described as "one of the founding fathers of strategy war games for the PC." Computer Games Magazine later dubbed him "as much of an institution in his niche of computer gaming as Sid Meier, Will Wright, or John Carmack are in theirs."

<i>Gato</i> (video game) 1984 video game

GATO is a real-time submarine simulator published in 1984 by Spectrum HoloByte for MS-DOS. It simulates combat operations aboard the Gato-class submarine USS Growler (SS-215) in the Pacific Theater of World War II. GATO was later ported to the Apple IIe, Atari ST, and Mac. In 1987, Atari Corporation published a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit computers, to coincide with the launch of the Atari XEGS.

<i>NATO Commander</i> 1983 video game

NATO Commander is a strategy video game designed by Sid Meier for Atari 8-bit computers and published in 1983 by MicroProse. Ports to the Apple II, and Commodore 64 were released the following year.

<i>Panzer Strike</i> 1988 video game

Panzer Strike is a 1988 tactical wargame that simulates small unit actions during World War II. It was made for Apple II and Commodore 64 and was released by Strategic Simulations.

<i>North Atlantic 86</i> 1983 video game

North Atlantic '86 is a computer wargame written by Gary Grigsby for the Apple II and published in 1983 by Strategic Simulations. The game covers a hypothetical conflict between NATO and the Soviet Union. A Mac version was released in 1986.

<i>Bomb Alley</i> 1983 video game

Bomb Alley is a 1983 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby for the Apple II and published by Strategic Simulations in 1983. It covers the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer wargame</span> Wargame played on a computer or other digital device

A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use and, in some cases, used for military purposes.

<i>The Universal Military Simulator</i> 1987 video game

The Universal Military Simulator is a computer game developed by Rainbird Software in 1987 for the Macintosh, Tandy 4000, and IBM PC compatibles. In 1988, both Atari ST, Amiga versions were released. The game was created by Ezra Sidran. The PC and Amiga versions were ported by Ed Isenberg. The game spawned two sequels: UMS II: Nations at War and The War College: Universal Military Simulator 3.

<i>Carriers at War</i> 1984 video game

Carriers at War 1941-1945: Fleet Carrier Operations in the Pacific is a 1984 computer wargame by Strategic Studies Group for Apple II and Commodore 64. The game was designed by Roger Keating and Ian Trout. A remake, Carriers at War, was released for DOS in 1992. A sequel to the remake, Carriers at War II, was released for DOS and Mac OS in 1993. A second remake was published by Matrix Games in 2007 for Microsoft Windows.

<i>Kampfgruppe</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Kampfgruppe is a computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published in 1984 by Strategic Simulations for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, and Commodore 64. Kampfgruppe is a game of tactical-scale combat on the Eastern Front. An MS-DOS port was released in 1987 followed by an Amiga version in 1988.

<i>War in Russia</i> (computer game) 1984 video game

War in Russia is a 1984 computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computers. It was designed by Gary Grigsby.

<i>Reforger 88</i> 1984 video game

Reforger '88 is a computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations in 1984. It takes place in a near-future setting and covers a hypothetical conflict between NATO and Warsaw Pact nations.

<i>U.S.A.A.F. - United States Army Air Force</i> 1985 video game

U.S.A.A.F. - United States Army Air Force is a 1985 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby published by Strategic Simulations.

<i>Mech Brigade</i> 1985 video game

Mech Brigade is a computer wargame published by Strategic Simulations in 1985. It was designed by Gary Grigsby, and is a follow-up to his earlier Kampfgruppe.

<i>Objective: Kursk</i> 1984 video game

Objective: Kursk is a 1984 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and released by Strategic Simulations in 1984.

<i>Gary Grigsbys War in Russia</i> 1993 video game

Gary Grigsby's War in Russia is a 1993 computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. Designed by Gary Grigsby, it is adapted from the 1990 title Second Front: Germany Turns East, itself adapted from Grigsby's 1984 War in Russia.

<i>Carrier Strike</i> 1992 video game

Carrier Strike: South Pacific 1942-44 is a 1992 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. It is a successor to Grigsby's earlier title Carrier Force.

<i>Warship</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Warship is a 1986 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations. It covers naval conflict during the Pacific War.

<i>Battle Cruiser</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Battle Cruiser is a 1987 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI). It is the follow-up to Grigsby's earlier Warship.

References

  1. "Carrier Force". Atari Mania.
  2. 1 2 Cheche, Tom (April 1984). "Carrier Force: The Fog of War at its Foggiest". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 15. pp. 22, 47.
  3. 1 2 Dille, Ed (December 1992). "War in the Pacific". Electronic Games . 1 (3): 54–56, 58.
  4. Emrich, Alan (September 1995). "The Pioneering Spirit of a Wargame Guru". Computer Gaming World . No. 134. pp. 201, 202, 204.
  5. 1 2 Miller, J. L. (January 1989). "The Wargamer's Desk Reference". Computer Play: 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42.
  6. 1 2 Brooks, M. Evan (November 1985). "Battle Bytes: An Overview of Wargames". Current Notes. 5 (9): 14–16.
  7. "Ludotique | Article | RPGGeek".
  8. https://spotlightongames.com/list/reviews.html