Question: How Did the SSI to The Camo Workshop Come to Be?

[Warwick]

That does bring back memories, bilious green Allies, earth brown Russians, and electric blue Germans. Once again many thanks to Andy and Don and all those who have contributed over the years.

Regards, Warwick

[MarkSheppard]

And before Steel Panthers was even a glimmer in SSI and Grigsby's eyes:

First, you had KAMPFGRUPPE in 1985:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/kampfgruppe

East Front 1941-45

and MECH BRIGADE, again in 1985:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/mech-brigade

NATO/USSR conflict.

followed by

PANZER STRIKE in 1987

http://www.mobygames.com/game/panzer-strike

Basically, East Front, North Africa, West Front (with no americans).

Then TYPHOON OF STEEL in 1988

http://www.mobygames.com/game/typhoon-of-steel

Which had PTO (US v Jap, UK v Jap) and the remaining ETO stuff (US v GER).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbLmIhQnWvY
Youtube of the DOS EGA version -- the C64 version was programmed by Gary Grigsby.

All of these games were semi-turn based / real time hybrids, similar to COMBAT MISSION, in which you gave your orders and then let the game units execute them, but you can see the definite influences that they had on Steel Panthers, as Grigsby likes to reuse/recycle basic informational concepts.

[Mobhack]

First computer hex-based wargame I played was on my TRS-80 back in 81
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankti..._Eastern_Front

You got a hex map and punch out units, spend 20 minutes loading it up off the tape cassette and then had to shuffle both sides counters!.

There also was a simple battle of Midway one where the enemy fleet was a "F" or a "B" on a grid on screen. At least that one did not need paper shuffling . Only air strikes were counted - if the Japanese invasion fleet coincided with your "E" for Enterprise task force then there was no surface action.

Both were in TRS-80 BASIC so you could look at the source and make edited versions. Nobody bothered, though. I think those games were Avalon Hill ones.

Price was ~25 pounds, when a pound would buy 2 pints in the students union. 50 pints at (say) 4 quid today = £200 in today's money. The basic 4K TRS-80 cost about 250-300 pounds as I recall. My first 5 1/4" floppy disk drive for it was another 300 pounds or so in 1982-ish. Early computer kit was not cheap.

The college mainframe was a Dec-20 and after 6PM I think, made games available. It had Star Trek, Rogue, some text-only dungeon, and Empire. Empire was hugely addictive - you built tanks and ships in your one starting city and went off exploring and conquering the world!. Empire would later appear a decade or so later with fancy graphics as "Civilisation".

[MarkSheppard]

PZ-IVC stat screen from PANZER STRIKE. You can kind of see the proto-Steel Panthers peeking out at you from here; in much the same way if you look at Grigsby's EAGLE DAY and BOMBING THE REICH, you can see the glimpses of the game engine later used for WAR IN THE PACIFIC.

[scorpio_rocks]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

The college mainframe was a Dec-20 and after 6PM I think, made games available. It had Star Trek, Rogue, some text-only dungeon, and Empire. Empire was hugely addictive - you built tanks and ships in your one starting city and went off exploring and conquering the world!. Empire would later appear a decade or so later with fancy graphics as "Civilisation".

Hehe - ah the memories of pulling an "all nighter" in the polytechnic computer lab playing MUD on the Dec-20

[georgesedlak]

Yes, and thanx from us over here also, cheers.

[DRG]

The first computer wargames I took any serious interest in was Atomic games V for Victory series which I played to death right up to SP1's release it gave me the look of the board games I had been used to in the 60's and 70's without having to find an opponent with the time to play when I wanted to play and the look of the games was IMHO way ahead of others at the time and one of the games covered Gold-Juno-Sword beaches.....

what's not to love about that ?



then they did a very similar series for Avalon hill..Operation Crusader, Stalingrad and others



it appears they are all available to DL from abandonware sites

Hard to belive sometimes that was a quarter century ago.........

[Pibwl]

After reading it again, I must say, that through all these years you, Don and Andy, made an important impact on a history of strategic games Thank you for your devotion.