Battlefront (Apple II 5 1/4")

Battlefront offers corps-level command of embattled Axis and Allied forces in World War II. As corps commanders, players issue orders to up to a dozen regiments, which then attempt to comply in the face of deadly opposition. Your objectives and timetable are already set; with an overview of the battle, you decide the roles which your regiments will play in attaining those objectives, while maintaining supply and command lines to keep them moving.

Turns represent six hours, in which you make your decisions, combat is resolved, and troops move. Map terrain resolves to square kilometers, controlled by individual battalions. There are fourteen types of battalions, from artillery to infantry, with varying levels of experience and morale. The battalions, however, are not yours to command; you can only issue orders to their regiment, whose commanding officer decides the best tactic depending on his skill, the terrain, and enemy pressure. To receive your orders, the regiments must be connected to their divisional commanders. Orders are nuanced versions of attack and move, selected from short menus occupying the bottom quarter of the screen with terrain and unit information. The rest of the game screen is devoted to a scrollable map showing all units and terrain, aided by an included map card for each of the four historical scenarios. While enemy movement is not invisible, intelligence on enemy units is dependent on contact and cover.

Lines of supply are crucial not only for command, but combat effectiveness and reinforcements. Also key are air and naval support, factored in as off-map resources assigned proportionately among the regiments. Victory, however, comes solely from reaching and holding territory on schedule. Besides solitaire with scoring handicaps, two-player play is available, along with an observation mode in which the computer takes both sides. The game includes a complete scenario editor, unusual in that it enables creation of new terrain types, and even can be invoked mid-game. Four separate scenarios are provided: Crete (1941), Stalingrad (1942), Saipan (1944) and Bastogne (1944-45).