General, The
Not content with this, you can also research 6 broad topics which gradually improve your country, i.e. higher yield for crops, better military training, higher population increase, better and faster scientific research, etc. All of these things have a direct bearing on the game. Also, the computer countries have different AI sets; one country, for example may ply its trade in research and garner a huge population before unleashing a huge army, another may buy a general from the start and go on a rampage before the other countries are strong. Also, and heres the clever part: countries opinions of each other continually change, so if an aggressive county attacks a nearby county, the other computer countries around it may attack it in turn to destroy it before it goes for them. Theres even a small economic model too: you can buy and sell your grain to get additional food to plant (2 seeds come from every 1 seed planted). Your soldiers and scientists require wages, so it's important to draw level with cash so that half your crop is sold to provide wages, etc.
The graphics, while few and far between (battles are text only and tend to be a bit boring, so it's worth only skipping to the end to see the final outcome) are ok for a freeware game. The map is nicely pictured, a bit basic, comprising of the colors of the countries and their respective areas. The interface is easy to work and control, no clutter and very few confusing buttons. The help file is very informative, and gives a detailed guide to a good strategy to win. You can check your world standings by clicking on the graph icon and the game will plot your levels on many different criteria so you can see how you are doing and also potential threats - watch out for those 'scientific' countries - they'll be dangerous later on in the game!
Overall, for its basicness (essentially a stripped down, and mildly improved Risk), The General is a fascinating and relatively hard game. My only gripe is that it may by too texty for many people to enjoy, and maybe the battles are a bit boring. Otherwise, the game is well worth a look for fans of Risk and turn-based games in general. Two thumbs up!
Average Rating: | 7.4 [60 votes] |
Genre: | Strategy |
Designer: | Dmitri Gusarov |
Developer: | NewGame Software |
Publisher: | Freeware |
Year: | 1999 |
Software Copyright: | NewGame Software |
Theme: | |
Multiplayer: | Turn-based hotseat |
Related Links: | |
More Info: | Mobygames | The Web |
System Requirements: | Windows 95/98 |
If you like this game, try: | Risk, Advanced Civilization |
Thanks to... | |
Technical Notes: |
Screenshots © The Good Old Days