Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!uunet!mcsun!ukc!sys-uea!cmp9133 From: cmp9133@sys.uea.ac.uk (A.C. Lock) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games Subject: Re: Balance of Power Message-ID: <1058@sys.uea.ac.uk> Date: 10 May 91 12:35:28 GMT References: <1991May8.152608.11050@gdr.bath.ac.uk> Organization: UEA, Norwich, UK Lines: 78 pyppad@gdr.bath.ac.uk (P A Dale) writes: >The June issue of Amiga Format (no. 23) has a complete >copy of Balance of Power (the later version with advisors >and MultiPolar option). As to be expected the docs in the >magazine are minimal. Any pointers from those lucky people >who have been playing this game for any length of time ? The basic strategy of the game is the domino theory. If you can pile enough troops and military aid into friendly countries which border on the one you wish to control, then you will be able invade with more troops and fund more insurgency than you would be able to otherwise (a la' Gulf War) Obviously the opposing superpower may not like this, so it is a good idea to move slowly with takeover bids, eg increase government intervention from 1000 to 5000 instead of 1000 to 500000. On later levels you may not even have to invade, because the country might Finlandize, leaving it basically under your thumb. A lot of points can also be obtained, just by improving relations with countries, this means increasing military and economic funding, signing treaties, and ensuring good trade. Also always check to see what actions the Russians have done this turn, and question them if you think you have a chance of winning. A lot of the time they will give up without a fight. On a slightly different issue, Amiga Format claims to have provided the complete list of passwords, which are required to get past the built in copy protection, but this is not the case, since they have only printed about 50% of the total passwords. If you wish to get the whole list, load the BOP executable into a text editor such as lse , ced or something similar, go to the end of the file, and scroll backwards until you come across a whole lump a text, which contains some of the passwords that you already know, then delete the crud above and below it. You will then need to format this bit to make it more legible and save it as a file called 'bop:bop.passwords'. When the protection comes up, open a shell on you workbench and 'type bop:bop.passwords' and read off the appropriate entry. >Personally I'd like to see a magazine which costs less without a disk. >Very often the demos are shoot 'em ups which don't interest me and add >a quid to the price of the mag. On the other hand we've had Lemmings :-) >as a demo. Amiga Computing has to rate as one of the best coverdisk mags >out of the UK as it consistently has good quality, mainly PD utility >based software (SID and MED3.0 to name but two). Yes Amiga Computing/Format do have some nice utils, but they keep spoiling by: a. Not publishing the complete distribution (eg With Med 3.0 they did not include any programmer dox, or code) b. Packing a bit of software with a non-standard packer so that you have grind your teeth waiting for the workbench screen to stop wobbling, even though you have the program installed on the hard drive c. publishing crap demos for some crap game which are basically adverts at your expense. By the way, the magazines actually get paid to publish these things ( the last issue of AF had TWO of these) d. Wasting about 10% of the available disk space, with absolutely massive icons, which eat tons of memory, and which take ages to load Since I joined the net, I have been less inclined to buy these expensive, magazines, because most of the pd software they publish can be found complete in some ftp site. If you want to read a less expensive magazine, then I would recommend Amiga Shopper which only costs 99p :- three pounds cheaper than Amiga Format's last issue ! Regards Adam Lock