Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!sun!scuba!bgahl
From: bgahl@scuba.uucp (Robert Gahl  Sun Federal  Systems Eng.)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: PT109
Message-ID: <10011@scuba.uucp>
Date: 28 May 88 19:13:57 GMT
References: <1228@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, CA
Lines: 31

> I anyone using Spectrum Holobyte's new PT109 PT boat simulator?  If
> so, how is it?  Any problems?  Any bugs?
> 
I beta-tested the program for them and it is pretty interesting. Like
Falcon, it eats your memory whole. You can call for air support or
another boat to back you up. If you get the game to send air support
after you already have air support, the SPAD will turn against you, but
when you shoot it down, you shot down one of your own, not an enemy.
The back-up boat did not aid in the fight. In fact, if it had to come
to help you and a destroyer was between you and the aiding PT boat, I
have seen it "run" rather than assist. Only one time (in novice mode)
did the aiding ship do anything at all.

I've seen ships go down without firing a shot, and find myself up against
7 destroyers at once without a prayer (at which time I ran like heck).

When the paths are charted for you to follow, if they go over land and
you are in autopilot, so will you, thus sinking your ship because of hull
damage.

But, this WAS a beta version, and they said that these bugs were being
fixed, and so far, I have no reason to doubt it. The game is excellent
and well thought out. It is interesting to have to deal with a seaborne
enemy and an airborne one as well. At the higher levels the game can get
really difficult, but not impossible if you use common sense. Even with
the aforementioned bugs in the beta version, the game was still a blast
to play. Having dud torpedoes when a destroyer is bearing down on you can
only be experienced to be described. Depending on the mission area and
time you draw, your PT boat can be equipped with only torpedoes and a
couple of guns or have depth charges, full complement of guns, smoke, and
even rockets.