Full metal Planete

Title		Full metal Planete
Game Type	Strategy
Players		1-4
Compatibility	All
Submission	angus@angusm.demon.co.uk

Review
This was a forerunner to games like "Battle Isle" in that it brought "sex"
to the strategy game. Unlike "Battle Isle" though, FMP didn't do this at
the cost of tactical depth. In the game, you and your opponents are trying
to mine as much metal from a planetoid as you can, within your 24 turns.
In practice though, this is best achieved by annihilating the opposition
with the range of combat craft in your possession. These consist of tanks,
super tanks, and attack boats, although other non-fighting vehicles, like
barges, crabs (carrier vehicles) and weather hens (able to build tanks and
carriers, and forecast tides) are also available.

The game world is viewed from above with an optional hex overlay. Control of
the various functions is well implemented, and there are handy features on
the map screen that display, for example, tidal effect, and the fire zone
generated by your offensive units at the click of an icon. The sound is
appropriately clunky and metalic, and there is even a simple art program
you can use to design your own flag. The AI of the computer controlled
players is quite limited. It doesn't plan as such, it just analyses the
situation on a turn-by-turn basis and then quietly executes it's
decisions. Be careful though, it may not be that clever, but within it's
own limitations, it doesn't make mistakes - The rest of us frequently do,
and if you've set the time allowed per turn to a reasonably challenging
setting, the computer will often give you quite a run for your money.
To attack anything you need to have 2 armed vehicles in range of tour
target. This may not seem very realistic, but it does create a very
challenging game. Additionally, all areas that are in range of the 2 (or
more) vehicles may not be entered by the enemy on his turn.... unless, that
is, they make use of the "second arrival" manoeuvre.  Basically this
allows you to enter a protected zone providing your very next move
destroys the vehicle or vehicles generating that zone. It sounds complex,
but actually the gameplay hangs together beautifully.

Where I used to work, we had an Amiga for generating titles on a video
editing suite, and every lunchtime for months, four of us, plus spectators
would sit round the 1084 monitor needling each other and desperately
trying to pull off some spectacular strategy. There is an armchair General
in everybody, and given a fair chance this game will happily prove that.

I'd recommend Full Metal Planete to pretty much anybody, it may not be
quite what the average strategy fan is looking for; there are less units
in the game than the in Battle Isle games, and the purpose is actually
collecting metal rather than specifically conducting offensive operations
against your competitors - but the combat is done superbly. It's about
planning, seizing opportunities and working quickly under pressure. There
is almost no luck involved, you take the credit or the blame yourself, and
the computer doesn't cheat.

Alphabetical list.