The Universal Military Simulator

Last updated
The Universal Military Simulator Cover.jpg
Publisher(s) Rainbird Software
Platform(s) Atari ST, Amiga, DOS, Macintosh
Release1987
Genre(s) Computer wargame

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 .

Contents

Gameplay

The Universal Military Simulator is a computer wargame which allows players to create armies and battlefields, using three-dimensional terrain to place features such as towns and hills. Players can reenact historical battles such as Hastings, Gettysburg, Waterloo, Arbela, and Marston Moor. The player can zoom in on specific combat units to plan strategy. The player has the option to play against a human opponent. [1]

Reception

According to designer Ezra Sidran, The Universal Military Simulator was a commercial success, with sales of "about 128,000 units". [2]

M. Evan Brooks reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World , and stated that "Overall, UMS is impressive, but its flaws are apparent. If you are interested in creating your own battles, then UMS is highly recommended. On the other hand, if you desire to learn accurate lessons from military history, then UMS may be a shade too general." [3]

The game was reviewed in 1988 in Dragon #137 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars. [1] In 1990 Computer Gaming World gave the game two-plus stars out of five, stating "A visual feast, but a playable desert, U.M.S. is incorrect on two counts—it is neither universal nor a simulator". The magazine cited as weaknesses the lack of navies, awkward user interface, and a Battle of Waterloo scenario that completely omitted the Prussians. [4] In 1993 two surveys of wargames in the magazine gave it one-plus stars [5] and two stars, respectively. [6] A 1994 survey of wargames with modern settings gave the game two stars, reporting that the game designer offered "superb customer support" when the publisher did not. [7]

In 1993 a bundle called "The Complete Universal Military Simulator" was released that included the original game, the "Nations at War" sequel, and a "Planet Editor" that let users design planets, weather systems, nations, AIs, event effects, and scenarios as well as unit types and armies. Reviewing the package in Amiga Format , Richard Jones gave it a rating of 74%, writing that it wasn't recommended for "frivolous gamers after a quick thrill", but "is a must for the serious war gamer." [8]

Reviews

Related Research Articles

<i>Abrams Battle Tank</i> 1988 video game

Abrams Battle Tank is a video game developed by Dynamix and published by Electronic Arts in 1988 for MS-DOS. Designed by Damon Slye, the game is a 3D vehicle simulation of the M1 Abrams tank. The 1991 Sega Genesis port by Realtime Games Software was renamed to M-1 Abrams Battle Tank.

<i>688 Attack Sub</i> 1989 video game

688 Attack Sub is a submarine simulator video game designed by John W. Ratcliff and Paul Grace and published in 1989 for MS-DOS and in 1990 for Amiga by Electronic Arts. A Sega Genesis version developed by MicroProse was released in 1991 by Sega.

<i>M1 Tank Platoon</i> 1989 video game

M1 Tank Platoon is a tactical simulator of tank warfare developed and published by MicroProse for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS in 1989. The game features a mixture of first-person, third-person tank warfare, and tactical simulation gameplay. It was followed by a sequel, M1 Tank Platoon II, released by MicroProse in 1998 for Windows. M1 Tank Platoon was sold to Interplay Entertainment in 2009. M1 Tank Platoon is available on Steam and Epic Games services.

<i>Defender of the Crown</i> 1986 video game

Defender of the Crown is a strategy video game designed by Kellyn Beeck. It was Cinemaware's first game, and was originally released for the Commodore Amiga in 1986, setting a new standard for graphic quality in home computer games.

<i>Roadwar 2000</i> 1986 video game

Roadwar 2000 is a 1986 video game published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. It is a turn-based strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic future which resembles the world portrayed in the Mad Max films.

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

GATO is a real-time submarine simulator first published in 1984 by Spectrum HoloByte for 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 Macintosh. In 1987, Atari Corporation published a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit family, to coincide with the launch of the Atari XEGS.

<i>Command HQ</i> 1990 video game

Command HQ is a real-time strategy world domination game. It was released in 1990 by Microplay Software and was created by designer Danielle Bunten.

<i>F29 Retaliator</i> 1989 video game

F29 Retaliator is a combat flight simulator video game developed by Digital Image Design and published by Ocean Software in 1989 Amiga and Atari ST, 1991 for the PC, and for the FM Towns and NEC PC-9801 in 1992-1993. Its working title was just Retaliator. The game was developed during the end of the Cold War, based mostly on speculations on then-future aircraft that were expected to be in use by the year 2002, in particular based on the design of the Lockheed Martin F-22 and the Grumman X-29A.

<i>Their Finest Hour</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain is a World War II combat flight simulation game by Lawrence Holland, released in October 1989 for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS systems. It was the second game in the trilogy of World War II titles by Lucasfilm Games, the others being Battlehawks 1942 (1988) and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991). The game was released with a 192-page manual written by Victor Cross, that provided a detailed historical overview of the battle and pilots' perspectives. An expansion pack, Their Finest Missions: Volume One, was released in 1989.

<i>Empire: Wargame of the Century</i> 1987 video game

Empire: Wargame of the Century is a video game based on Empire developed by Walter Bright and published by Interstel Corporation in 1987.

<i>Harrier Combat Simulator</i> 1987 video game

Harrier Combat Simulator is a combat flight simulation game published in 1987 by Mindscape for the Commodore 64. Ports for Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC followed in 1988.

<i>Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict</i> 1987 video game

Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict is a space combat computer game developed by Dynamix and published by Electronic Arts in 1987 for the Commodore 64 as a sequel to the original Skyfox for the Apple II. It was ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS. The creator of Skyfox, Ray Tobey, was not involved in this game.

<i>Global Commander</i> 1987 video game

Global Commander is a computer game developed by Martech in 1987 for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Harpoon</i> (video game) 1989 computer wargame

Harpoon is a computer wargame published by Three-Sixty Pacific in 1989 for DOS. This was the first game in the Harpoon series. It was ported to the Amiga and Macintosh.

<i>The Ancient Art of War in the Skies</i> 1992 video game

The Ancient Art of War in the Skies is a video game developed by Evryware in 1992 for MS-DOS as a sequel to The Ancient Art of War and The Ancient Art of War at Sea. In 1993 conversions were published for Amiga and Atari ST.

<i>Falcon</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Falcon is a combat flight simulator video game and the first official entry in the Falcon series of the F-16 jet fighter's simulators by Spectrum HoloByte. Originally developed by Sphere for Macintosh and MS-DOS in 1987 and ported to several platforms between 1988 and 1992, the game earned commercial success and critical acclaim.

<i>The Hunt for Red October</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

The Hunt for Red October is a video game based on the 1984 book The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. It was released in 1987 and was available for the Atari ST, Amiga, Apple II, Macintosh, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Commodore 64, and IBM PC. A port for the Apple IIGS was released in 1989. The game is a combination of submarine simulator and strategy game. The player navigates the Red October towards U.S. waters while avoiding the Soviet Navy.

<i>Ogre</i> (video game) 1986 computer game

Ogre is a 1986 computer game based on the Ogre board wargame. It was released by Origin Systems for the Apple II, Amiga, Atari 8-bit family, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and Macintosh.

<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 family. It was designed by Gary Grigsby.

<i>UMS II: Nations at War</i> 1990 video game

UMS II: Nations at War is a 1990 video game by MicroProse.

References

  1. 1 2 Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (September 1988). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (137): 88–93.
  2. ↑ Sidran, Ezra (November 17, 2016). "A Wargame 55 Years in the Making". General Staff. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020.
  3. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (September 1988). "U.M.S.: Another Look". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 51. pp. 38–39.
  4. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (October 1990). "Computer Strategy and Wargames: Pre-20th Century". Computer Gaming World. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (June 1993). "An Annotated Listing of Pre-20th Century Wargames". Computer Gaming World. p. 136. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (October 1993). "Brooks' Book Of Wargames: 1900-1950, R-Z". Computer Gaming World. pp. 144–148. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Brooks, M. Evan (January 1994). "War In Our Time / A Survey Of Wargames From 1950-2000". Computer Gaming World. pp. 194–212.
  8. ↑ Jones, Richard (November 1993). "Universal Military Simulator: The Complete Compilation Pack". Amiga Format. pp. 86–87. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "The Games Machine Magazine Issue 03".
  10. ↑ "Atari ST User (Vol. 3, No. 01) - March - 1988: Atari magazine scans, PDF".
  11. ↑ "Ludotique | Article | RPGGeek".
  12. ↑ "Asimov's v12n12 (1988 12)".
  13. ↑ "Jeux & stratégie 51". June 1988.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.