Scorched Earth (1991)
Genres:Strategy
Themes:Warfare
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:Blast your enemies from the face of the Earth together with Earth itself. Buy bigger weapons to crush more enemies. Get more money for crushing more enemies. And finaly buy a much more bigger weapons to crush even more enemies.
Scorched Earth is an early classic shareware artillery game that featured hot-seat multiplayer for up to 10 players, and was the spiritual predecessor to games like the Worms series.Show more
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.178
A friend of mine had it back before our family could afford to buy a home computer. We still played this together, local multiplayer, well into the Windows 98 era when this family computer became "his" computer he could play on in his room.
Man, when you could get that deaths head round you felt like you'd won the game, only to inevitably miss by a hair.
It's just one of those games where you choose a weapon, set an aim angle and power, and watch the shot destroy parts of the level (and hopefully an enemy). But it did it really well, and it did it as one of the first in the genre. Deserves a return to life.
Scorched Earth may not have been Gorillas.BAS or Tank Wars, but it certainly was a game that lit a fire underneath the genre with it's many special graphical tricks to really show off what PCs could do. Photo scanned mountains, plasma fractal explosions, pseudorandom explosions from the funky bomb? Pure, loving chaos.
This was one of the best DOS games and party games of all time.
I tried to play it recently using DOSBox-X, but the version of the game itself had a bug which prevented Synchronous mode from working (a bug that I remember experiencing on the original). I remember there were different bugs in various versions of the game, so depending on how you play, certain versions were better than others. The Synchronous bug was only present in certain later versions of the game, but I can't remember which.
Ideal would be a GOG menu to pick which variant you want to load from between all the versions released.
Synchronous was always my favourite mode as it was the only fair mode -- everyone programmed in their shots individually, then all shots fired off simultaneously. Anyone who survived got to program in another shot. It was my preferred mode to play on.
But wow, Scorched Earth was the ultimate game for configurability! There are pages and pages and pages of settings to tweak almost every imaginable aspect of the game. I knew what every option did and had everything configured just right. I also had a custom messages text file that says a random line when your tank is destroyed. Me and my friends added to it over time, and it got pretty large. It was fun having endless movie references, like "This... is... from... Mathilda..." taken from the scene in "Leon: The Professional" when Leon is dying and he hands the corrupt cop a live grenade. It fit becau dying in Scorched Earth might kill other players nearby. Also had quotes from books, as well as rude insults, and whatever other random stuff we felt like putting in. So much fun!
I enjoyed challenging play, so I liked to play one the smaller scales of explosion size. Some of my friends just wanted to see the world burn and liked max scale -- where one nuke would destroy half the screen, you barely needed to aim except "far away from me".
So many creative weapons, tools, and mechanics to use.
Loved the game.
Think I got this on a disc with a bunch of other games on it, some of them were pretty forgettable but this was one my brother and I played the heck out of. We loved all the weird and overpowered weapons you could get and the way the battlefield could change dynamically.
Stella Deus: The Gate of EternityStella Deus is a story-driven tactical role-playing game in which the player controls a group of characters both picked up during the course of the story and in side events. The world is navigated using an overworld map using point-to-point navigation, with a date system showing the length of time it takes to get to a selected location. Alongside the story missions, Towns can be visited, in which characters can customize and create new weapons and armor, sell existing equipment in exchange for money, and shop for items such as healing potions. In camps set up on a journey, characters can swap out weapons and armor, equip items such as healing potions and beneficial charms for future battles. Special items used in character leveling can also be crafted by the player. Alongside story-based missions, there is a special dungeon called the Catacomb of Trials, where characters can battle and gain experience levels, raising their general statistics. The number of available levels in the Catacomb increases as players progress through the game. Each character has a specific character class, which they keep throughout the game and continue to level up as they gain experience points (XP). Higher amounts of XP are awarded for executing special abilities. Along with swordsmen and archers, there are alchemists (mages), priests (healers), and units who fight using most things from axes to fists.
Most battles are triggered based on story events, and are completed when the stated object has been accomplished by the player, be it defeating all enemies, defeating a boss, or performing a specific task. At the end of each battle, the players gain a summery of their performance and spoils gained. The game uses the turn-based Replaceable Action Position battle system, much of which was carried over from the battle system used in Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth. Players navigate the field across a grid-based map, which can include obstacles such as bodies of water and high structures. Character positioning within the environment can be used to their advantage, such as an archer gaining higher accuracy when at a high point in the level. Character actions are arranged in a set order, and each character's weapon dictates their attack range. Each time a character performs an action, they gain experience points and additional Skill Points (SP) that can be used to purchase supplies or raise individual character stats. Three types of Skills can be equipped for characters: Action Skills, a special attack that player execute for a certain amount of Magic Points (MP); Support Skills, which grant passive abilities such as scaling higher obstacles; and Zone Skills, which grant passive abilities to both the equipped character and those in close proximity to them.
Alongside Action Skills, two or more characters in conjunction trigger unique special moves called Team Attacks. The amount of damage done depends on how many characters took part in the action. Team attacks also increase the rewards gained at the end of battles. Characters' actions are governed by their stored Action Points (AP): a character's turn begins when their AP meter is at 100. A character's actions can continue until the meter reaches 0, meaning that they can move and attack multiple times within their turn. The amount of AP used with each action depends on the weight of the armor the character is wearing.
Lemonade TycoonLemonade Tycoon, first released as Lemonade Inc., is a Shockwave-based game. A free, limited version is available for online play at many sites or the full version with no time restrictions can be purchased online. The goal of Lemonade Tycoon is to sell lemonade for profit.
While selling lemonade, players must look over many aspects of their business. Players decide on a recipe, set prices, and sell lemonade in a variety of locations. The game includes changing weather and news, which the player must compensate for. To overcome some factors, such as long lines and stock, players can buy upgrades. The packaged version included versions for PC, Mobile Phones, Windows Mobile Professional devices, and Palm devices. Lemonade Tycoon employs a concept called "Game-On" which allows users to transfer game saves from a Windows PC to a Palm handheld or Windows Mobile Professional device and back again to continue.
While Lemonade Tycoon is compatible with multiple platforms, the game differs slightly on each. The Windows version allows more details and info because of a larger screen. Locations had a much bigger view and other versions had to deal with a smaller screen. They did not include as much information as the PC. Areas would be cut down so only a portion could be seen. Each platform, however, is not limited in usability and functionality. Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition is also available on Mac OS X, published by MacPlay.
The last update (1.1.9) was called Lemonade Tycoon Deluxe because it included some new levels and a slightly better UI. In 2009 Electronic Arts published an iPhone version of Lemonade Tycoon.
GAMEPLAY:
Game Modes
Lemonade Tycoon includes three game modes; Career, Challenge and Champion. Career mode lets the player have a stand for as long as they want. Challenge mode had a 30-day limit to see how fast your stand can grow within the period of time.
Stocks/Supplies
In order to be able to sell lemonade, players have to buy supplies, which include ice, lemons, sugar, and cups.
Sales and Advertisement
The player has the option to advertise in Lemonade Tycoon. Every day, the player can pay an advertising fee with different choices in advertising being available. Advertising increases the number of potential customers.
Upgrades
Lemonade Tycoon features many upgrades that are available at different prices. Some reduce wait times, some improve visibility, some make ice, etc. Stand upgrades allow more storage and customer capacity. There are also employees, a cashier, and a clown, which charge daily for reducing wait times and increasing patience, respectively.
Locations
There are five different locations where one can move your stand. Some places are more popular than others. Each location has a different rent. Each location has satisfaction and popularity. Popularity changes as the player's stand gets more popular. Good satisfaction and advertising bring more customers. Satisfaction ensures that customers will come back to the stand. If there are short lines, there are good prices, the player serves all customers rather than them leaving, and the player has a good recipe, the player's customer satisfaction will go up. With the increase of satisfaction, customers will come back to a player's stand. Satisfaction and popularity are location based. They do not travel with you as you move from location to location.
Game Factors
There are many News Headlines that change how well lemonade is sold. Some headlines can improve your business and some that can hurt your business. Headlines change every game day and can sometimes only affect a single location. Weather affects how well lemonade is sold as well. Warm and hot days bring more customers to stand than on cold, rainy days. The weather changes each day and does not seem to follow predictable patterns.
Lemonade Stock Exchange (LSX)
The Lemonade Stock Exchange was an online feature that let one see how one's stand compared to others.
RECEPTION:
Awards
Best Pocket PC Strategy Game (2002 Pocket PC Magazine's Best Products Awards)
Applied uses
Learning Planet, an educational website, created the original version of the game for teaching economics and resource management for its students. The LearningPlanet.com version of Lemonade Tycoon is visually different but functionally identical to the other iterations of the game.Business
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Warcraft III: Reign of ChaosWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaos is an RTS made by Blizzard Entertainment. Take control of either the Humans, the Orcs, the Night Elves or the Undead, all with different unit types and heroes with unique abilities.Play the story driven single player campaign, go online to play default- or custom maps against people around the world or create your own maps with the map creation tool.Top Fantasy Warfare
Shining Force: Resurrection Of The Dark DragonA remake of the original Shining Force that was released in 1992 on the Sega Genesis.
"THE CLASSIC STRATEGY RPG IS BACK!
The mysterious traveler Darksol has worked his way into the King's graces to further his plans of resurrecting an ancient evil, the Dark Dragon. You play the role of Max, a young warrior who remembers nothing of his past.
When Guardiana is attacked, you are given an army to lead, & must unravel the mystery behind the Legacy of the Gods, lest the world perish."Fantasy
Shining ForceShining Force is a turn-based tactical RPG. Battles take place in square grids, and each unit occupies 1 square. Units can belong to one of two sides: allies (controlled by the player) or enemies (controlled by the computer AI). Each unit can move up to a fixed amount of squares along the battlefield, determined by its Move statistic. Depending on its location relative to enemies and to allies, a unit also has the option to attack, cast a spell, use an item, search (if adjacent to a treasure chest), or stay and do nothing, all of which end the unit's turn. Some commands, such as equipping or dropping items, don't count as actions, and the character's turn is able to continue. The order of the turns is determined by the unit's agility score and a random seed. Units can use offensive actions, such as physical attacks or offensive magic, only on units belonging to the other side and can use supportive actions, such as healing magic, stat-enhancing magic, and items, only on units belonging to the same side.Fantasy
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Note: GameSpy ended all hosted game services in 2014, which affects the online multiplayer aspect of one or more games in the collection. Learn more about this in our FAQ.
Game Features:
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Collect, create, conquer. Success in battle requires more than just a keen battle strategy. Fight for control as you struggle to collect the resources necessary to build new bases, troops, and weaponry, all while keeping the enemy at bay.
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