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Midwinter (video game)
Encyclopedia
Midwinter is a first-person
action role-playing game
with strategy
elements for the Atari ST
, Amiga
and PC
. It was designed by Mike Singleton
and was released in 1989 by Microplay Software
. The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Midwinter II: Flames of Freedom
. The Amiga version was re-released by Kixx XL in 1993.
.
The game's accompanying manual describes a cataclysmic meteorite
strike in Burma around 2040 which caused impact winter
. The ensuing diamond dust
covering the Earth
caused a global cooling
and consequently major economical, political and military tumult. Populace of the northern areas died of glaciation and famine
whereas the more temperate zones became overcrowded because of migration. As the glacier
s advance, the sea level
lowered, providing more habitable space.
Midwinter island has been formed following massive volcanic activity in the Azores
island group; Pico Island
, Sao Jorge Island and Terceira Island
became its mountains. The manual describes how the island was settled between 2060 and 2081 by waves of survivors and refugees from the mainland, and the formation of the local militia called Free Villages Police Force (FVPF). At the start of the game, despotic General Masters is attempting to take over the island by force.
The player has control of Captain
John Stark, the commander of FVPF. The player takes control as Stark is ambushed by one of General Masters' units of missile-armed snowmobile
s. Stark, initially armed only with a handful of grenade
s, a sniper rifle
and a pair of ski
s, must initially make his escape and alert the rest of islanders, and resist the invasion. This is done by travelling around Midwinter, recruiting civilians and other members of FVPF available, and mounting a guerrilla warfare
campaign to stem the tide of Masters' troops and ultimately stop him by destroying his headquarters
in Shining Hollow, in the extreme south-east of the island.
Midwinter is covered in snow, and has some nigh-impassable mountainous regions as well as some flat rolling plains. There were many different variables to take into account (characters' skills, terrain, etc.) when deciding how to move around. The entire island was rendered with shaded 3D polygons.
Each of the 32 recruits has a history of their own, which decides their allegiances and various skills. This history provides clues on whether or not the current player character
will be able to recruit any other given recruit. For example, Stark can recruit Nurse Maddocks, as they are engaged; however, Stark cannot recruit Grazzini, as he is jealous of Stark's relationship with Maddocks. Some of the more useful recruits are only recruitable by a couple of other characters, and a successful strategy involves recruiting these people as swiftly as possible. For example, Prof Kristiansen (an excellent saboteur and the only person who can work the radio) can only be recruited by his grandson, Davy Hart, or Adams, Hart's girlfriend, who in turn, are only recruitable by a handful of other characters.
During the game, recruits can pick up injuries (but not be killed). Injuries can be either slight or severe, and can be sustained on different body areas. Injuries heal over time (accelerated by first aid and sleep), but different injuries affect a character in different ways; for example, an injured arm reduces sniping accuracy, whereas an injured leg reduces skiing top speed, stamina and increases the likelihood of a crash. Head and torso injuries affect all activities.
Enemy forces consist of a variety of missile-armed snowbuggies and unarmed supply vehicles. The average unit consists of around 50 vehicles, and four units make up one squadron. Individual vehicles can be destroyed by rifle fire, grenades or missiles. Units can be eliminated by killing the unit/squadron commander, or by destroying a certain proportion of the unit's vehicles, effectively rout
ing the unit. The difficulty level of the game is modified by enabling the enemy to use mortars fire (guided by spotter planes) and/or attack aircraft.
, 94% / Star Player by The Games Machine
for both Amiga and Atari ST versions, 94% and Zero Hour by Zero (PC version), and 92% / Amiga Format Gold by Amiga Format
.
Midwinter was covered by Eurogamer
in a retrospective article, which praised the mix of genres the game contained, calling it "a unique creature; a priceless transitional specimen in the fossil record of gaming."
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
with strategy
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
elements for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It was designed by Mike Singleton
Mike Singleton
Mike Singleton is a British author and video game developer who wrote various well-regarded titles for the ZX Spectrum during the 1980s. His titles include The Lords of Midnight, Doomdark's Revenge, Throne of Fire, Dark Sceptre and War In Middle Earth. He also wrote a novel, The Eternal Empire,...
and was released in 1989 by Microplay Software
Microplay Software
Microplay was a video game publisher, an imprint of developer and publisher MicroProse Software. MicroProse used the label for externally developed games...
. The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Midwinter II: Flames of Freedom
Flames of Freedom
Flames of Freedom is a first-person shooter action role-playing game with simulation elements published by MicroProse in 1991 for PC, Amiga and Atari ST. It is a sequel to the 1989 game Midwinter. Its working title was Wildfire...
. The Amiga version was re-released by Kixx XL in 1993.
Story
The game is set on the 160000 square miles (414,398.1 km²) isle of Midwinter, in 2099 when the entire world is covered in snow and ice in a post-apocalyptic scenario. The game package included a quite lengthy manual narrating the game's backstory in a short novelNovel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
.
The game's accompanying manual describes a cataclysmic meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
strike in Burma around 2040 which caused impact winter
Impact winter
An impact winter is a period of prolonged cold weather caused by the impact on the Earth of a large asteroid or comet. If such an impact occurred on land or the floor of a shallow sea, it could cause large amounts of dust or ash to be thrown into the Earth's atmosphere, blocking the Sun's light...
. The ensuing diamond dust
Diamond dust
Diamond dust is a ground-level cloud composed of tiny ice crystals. This meteorological phenomenon is also referred to simply as ice crystals and is reported in the METAR code as IC. Diamond dust generally forms under otherwise clear or nearly clear skies, so it is sometimes referred to as...
covering the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
caused a global cooling
Global cooling
Global cooling was a conjecture during the 1970s of imminent cooling of the Earth's surface and atmosphere along with a posited commencement of glaciation...
and consequently major economical, political and military tumult. Populace of the northern areas died of glaciation and famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
whereas the more temperate zones became overcrowded because of migration. As the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s advance, the sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
lowered, providing more habitable space.
Midwinter island has been formed following massive volcanic activity in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
island group; Pico Island
Pico Island
Pico Island , is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores noted for its eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...
, Sao Jorge Island and Terceira Island
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
became its mountains. The manual describes how the island was settled between 2060 and 2081 by waves of survivors and refugees from the mainland, and the formation of the local militia called Free Villages Police Force (FVPF). At the start of the game, despotic General Masters is attempting to take over the island by force.
The player has control of Captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
John Stark, the commander of FVPF. The player takes control as Stark is ambushed by one of General Masters' units of missile-armed snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s. Stark, initially armed only with a handful of grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s, a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
and a pair of ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s, must initially make his escape and alert the rest of islanders, and resist the invasion. This is done by travelling around Midwinter, recruiting civilians and other members of FVPF available, and mounting a guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
campaign to stem the tide of Masters' troops and ultimately stop him by destroying his headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Shining Hollow, in the extreme south-east of the island.
Gameplay
The game uses a timer system to simulate the simultaneous operation of the recruits. The player has two hours of game-time to play as each of his characters, and once that recruit's timer runs out, the player starts controlling the next one in line. Only after the player has spent the two hours with all of his characters does the game's clock move forward, and a new series of turns begins.Midwinter is covered in snow, and has some nigh-impassable mountainous regions as well as some flat rolling plains. There were many different variables to take into account (characters' skills, terrain, etc.) when deciding how to move around. The entire island was rendered with shaded 3D polygons.
Each of the 32 recruits has a history of their own, which decides their allegiances and various skills. This history provides clues on whether or not the current player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
will be able to recruit any other given recruit. For example, Stark can recruit Nurse Maddocks, as they are engaged; however, Stark cannot recruit Grazzini, as he is jealous of Stark's relationship with Maddocks. Some of the more useful recruits are only recruitable by a couple of other characters, and a successful strategy involves recruiting these people as swiftly as possible. For example, Prof Kristiansen (an excellent saboteur and the only person who can work the radio) can only be recruited by his grandson, Davy Hart, or Adams, Hart's girlfriend, who in turn, are only recruitable by a handful of other characters.
During the game, recruits can pick up injuries (but not be killed). Injuries can be either slight or severe, and can be sustained on different body areas. Injuries heal over time (accelerated by first aid and sleep), but different injuries affect a character in different ways; for example, an injured arm reduces sniping accuracy, whereas an injured leg reduces skiing top speed, stamina and increases the likelihood of a crash. Head and torso injuries affect all activities.
Enemy forces consist of a variety of missile-armed snowbuggies and unarmed supply vehicles. The average unit consists of around 50 vehicles, and four units make up one squadron. Individual vehicles can be destroyed by rifle fire, grenades or missiles. Units can be eliminated by killing the unit/squadron commander, or by destroying a certain proportion of the unit's vehicles, effectively rout
Rout
A rout is commonly defined as a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield, resulting in the victory of the opposing party, or following defeat, a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. A routed army often degenerates into a sense of "every man for himself" as the...
ing the unit. The difficulty level of the game is modified by enabling the enemy to use mortars fire (guided by spotter planes) and/or attack aircraft.
Reception
Midwinter was very well received at the time of release. The game won many awards, including 97% / Zzap Gold Medal by Zzap 64 (Amiga version), 96% / CU Super Star by CU Amiga, 96% / Amiga Computing Supreme by Amiga ComputingAmiga Computing
Amiga Computing was a monthly computer magazine of a serious nature, published by Europress and IDG in both the UK and USA. A total of 117 issues came out. The games section was called Gamer, although later Amiga Action was incorporated into the magazine and became the games section.- External...
, 94% / Star Player by The Games Machine
The Games Machine
The Games Machine was a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published CRASH, Zzap!64, Amtix! and other magazines.-History:...
for both Amiga and Atari ST versions, 94% and Zero Hour by Zero (PC version), and 92% / Amiga Format Gold by Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
.
Midwinter was covered by Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
in a retrospective article, which praised the mix of genres the game contained, calling it "a unique creature; a priceless transitional specimen in the fossil record of gaming."
See also
- The Lords of MidnightThe Lords of MidnightThe Lords of Midnight is a video game, written by Mike Singleton, and released in 1984 for the ZX Spectrum. Conversions for the Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 soon followed.-Gameplay:The Lords of Midnight is a wargame/adventure game...
and Doomdark's RevengeDoomdark's RevengeDoomdark's Revenge is the sequel to the seminal ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC game The Lords of Midnight by Mike Singleton. It has similar game mechanics to Lords, but adds more detail and complexity with the number of characters and locations increased.-Background:After Doomdark's...
, previous games by Mike Singleton.
External links
- Midwinter at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Midwinter II: Flames Of Freedom Amiga - HOL database
- GameSpot's Unsung Heroes: Ground Breaking Games series article about Midwinter
- Time Extend: Midwinter at EdgeEdge (magazine)Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
magazine