The Ancient Art of War in the Skies
Encyclopedia
The Ancient Art of War in the Skies is a computer game developed by MicroProse
in 1992 for PC/MS-DOS computers as a sequel to The Ancient Art of War and The Ancient Art of War at Sea
. In 1993 the game was converted to Amiga
and Atari ST
.
, Ferdinand Foch
, Kaiser Wilhelm II, fictional enemy Helmut von Spike, or even Sun Tzu
.
The game acts in two dimensions. In the first one the player spends most of its time on the overhead map. He can plan the strategy and set the goals and routes for aircrafts. In the second one, when the aircraft reaches its destination, the game switches to an arcade section. There are also two: a side-scrolling dog fights where the goal is to destroy the enemy aircrafts shooting at them and overhead bombings where the player has to release bombs at the marked targets. Arcade sequences can be skipped and dealt by computer's calculations based on different variables.
#190 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
in 1992 for PC/MS-DOS computers as a sequel to The Ancient Art of War and The Ancient Art of War at Sea
The Ancient Art of War at Sea
The Ancient Art of War at Sea is a computer game developed by Brøderbund and released for IBM micros and compatibles in 1987 as a sequel to The Ancient Art of War.-Plot:...
. In 1993 the game was converted to 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 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...
.
Plot
In The Ancient Art of War in the Skies, the player plays either the British or German forces in World War I. In this air combat simulation, the player makes aerial assaults against opponents such as Lord KitchenerHerbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
, Kaiser Wilhelm II, fictional enemy Helmut von Spike, or even Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Sun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
.
The game acts in two dimensions. In the first one the player spends most of its time on the overhead map. He can plan the strategy and set the goals and routes for aircrafts. In the second one, when the aircraft reaches its destination, the game switches to an arcade section. There are also two: a side-scrolling dog fights where the goal is to destroy the enemy aircrafts shooting at them and overhead bombings where the player has to release bombs at the marked targets. Arcade sequences can be skipped and dealt by computer's calculations based on different variables.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1993 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#190 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.
External links
- The Ancient Art of War in the Skies 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...
- The Ancient Art of War in the Skies at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
- The Ancient Art of War in the Skies at GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...