Carrier Command Amiga 1988

Developed by Realtime Games Software Ltd. in 1988, Carrier Command is a futuristic vehicle simulator and real-time strategy game hybrid for Amiga and MS-DOS.

Due to a world-wide energy crisis, scientists are attempting to harness energy from an archipelago's volcanism (that is, tapping volcanic activity and converting it to energy).

But by modifying its control computer software, the STANZA terrorist organization brought the ACC Omega aircraft carrier under their control. If STANZA doesn't receive 15 billion dollars within 72 hours, it will reprogram ACC Omega to systematically destroy the archipelago, island by island.

In commanding an advanced aircraft carrier (ACC Epsilon), the object of Carrier Command is to eliminate a more advanced carrier (ACC Omega) and conquer/colonize an archipelago consisting of 64 islands.

Logistics is key in achieving that goal: the commander must create a resource network that ships supplies across the archipelago, maintaining the ACC Epsilon force as it colonizes islands. Supplies include weapons, fuel and equipment.

In addition to the base island, four other island types can be constructed:

Resource Islands (mine and refine raw materials)
Factory Islands (build weapons from raw materials)
Defense Islands (protection of resource network)
Stockpile Islands (store materials)

If the carrier runs out of fuel and has no Stockpile Island in range (for refueling), it becomes a sitting duck.

Carrier Command Viewport

Logical and functional in design, Carrier Command's main viewport consists of a central screen surrounded by clickable icons that switch between game modes. Depending on mode selected, the central screen switches between a 3D playing field and status screens, complete with stat readouts and wireframe diagrams.

Also impressive is Carrier Command's 8-way scrolling and zoomable wireframe map that allows unit courses to be set and updates unit positions in real-time. The wireframe unit graphics even rotate in map mode.

ACC Epsilon Carrier

The carrier is an advanced self-repairing, droid- and computer-controlled super-vessel with its own stores, supplies, priorities, transfers and message-reporting. The carrier can be steered and moved in forward and reverse; its max speed is 200 miles per hour.

Anchored off the coast of their base islands, the player's carrier begins the game in the southwest of the archipelago on the island of Vulcan (blue) whereas the enemy carrier begins in the northeast with several islands already under its control (red). Neutral islands are green. To colonize a neutral or green island, a Command Center must be physically built on the island.

How colonization works:

From its Vulcan base island, the carrier sets course for a neutral/green island (physically sails to its destination)
A Walrus amphibious vehicle is loaded with an Automatic Control Center Builder (ACCB pod)
Upon arrival at the island, the Walrus is launched from the carrier and physically drives to the island
Upon making landfall, the Walrus drops its cargo (the ACCB pod)
Over time and in real-time, a wireframe model of the building is progressively constructed on the island (an abstraction of its building by droids)
Once completed, the building is flat-shaded and the island comes under player control (it turns from green to blue)
The island is now part of the resource network, which is shown by green lines linking the islands in map mode

It would of course be easy to colonize and conquer the archipelago if there was no opponent attempting to do the same.

Carrier Command Support

Unlike most combat flight sims of the era, Carrier Command employs multi-unit control; that is, units can be switched between and put on autopilot when not directly controlled by the player.

M.A.N.T.A.: (x4): Multi-role Aircraft for Nautical Tactical Assault
W.A.L.R.U.S. (x4): Water & Land Roving Utility Shuttle
Drones (x4): Inflatable decoy units

Assigning payloads to amphibious vehicles and fighter aircraft is drag-and-drop. The Walrus is launched from a dock under the carrier whereas the Manta is raised from its hangar via a lift to the flight deck before take off.

Carrier Command employs smooth 3D flat-shaded vector graphics rendered on-the-fly in a 512x256 3D playing field. When not autopiloted, the Carrier, Manta and Walrus are controlled in first-person perspective.

In 1988 the above-depicted launch sequences were exceedingly impressive for a game that ran on 7-8 MHz micros equipped with 512 KB RAM.

What made Carrier Command stand out in the late 80s was its strong controls, user interface and mechanics design that seamlessly melded 3D multi-vehicle simulation and real-time strategy into a cohesive and highly polished end-product -- one that appealed to both arcadians and strategists alike.

Some people think M1 Tank Platoon or MechWarrior 1 were the first 3D simulators to feature multi-unit command and control, but those people are wrong.

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