Carrier Command: I completed it

[Foebane]

It was back in the summer of 1990 on my Atari 520STFM, but I vividly remember spending HOURS on this game when I got it as part of my Atari pack, and I did it in an unconventional way.

If I remember, I started on an Action game rather than Strategy, so our carriers didn't start off on opposite sides of the island archipelago. I'd practiced for a bit before about confronting the enemy carrier so I was ready, so that when the game started, I travelled north of the start island, waited for the enemy carrier to visit it and then turned back, unleashing my army of aircraft and amphibious vehicles onto it, as well as my laser turret. I sank it within a couple of minutes.

All that left was for me to convert all of the islands in the archipelago by myself, with no opposition, which would've taken ages in the Strategy game with the enemy carrier doing the same.

I remember it took me 99% of the time to play the game just to travel from island to island, doing whatever it took to convert them back to my side, and it wasn't entirely boring. However, at one point, I misjudged the fuel situation on a particularly long trip and almost ended up dead in the water, but I managed to resolve it, but I don't remember how.

So this is how I beat Carrier Command, a fascinating game which was possibly my first 16-bit experience. Rather unconventional way to beat it, but it still counts.

[mrv2k]

Carrier Command was one of the main reasons I upgraded from a Speccy 128k to an A500. It was also the first Amiga game I bought.

[gimbal]

Carrier Command: easy mode. You must have the patience of a saint.

[CodyJarrett]

What happens at the end when you take all the islands?

[dreadnought]

It's still in my backlog, +3 decades later. Mostly because I did not have the manual back then, and couldn't figure what it's all about.

Amazing game, well ahead of its time.

[alexh]

I tried playing Carrier Command : Gaea Mission when it came out in 2012. Fun, nostalgia but the AI was just not quite right.

I loved the audio cassette tape that came with CC. Studio music done by Uncle Art aka Dave Lowe. I tried for many years in the early 00's to find him (he left games mid 90s) and eventually his son contacted me, we became acquaintances and I encouraged him to make a new studio album of his best work. His daughter made a documentary film about him which you can watch on Amazon Prime. Very good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncle-Art-D.../dp/B07Z8G5CF9

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by CodyJarrett

What happens at the end when you take all the islands?

The usual congratulatory message you get in such games, I think. It was over 30 years ago, I can't remember for sure now.

[Dunny]

Originally Posted by dreadnought

It's still in my backlog, +3 decades later. Mostly because I did not have the manual back then, and couldn't figure what it's all about.

When I first started seriously playing games on the Amiga, a friend gifted me a pack of cracked disks (compilations mostly) and one had Carrier Command on it. I spent months learning how to play it (no manual, natch) and that was actually the best part - just constantly amazed at how deep that game was.

Eventually beat it in strategy mode and loved every second.

[Anubis]

One of many games I never finished...

[Fiery Phoenix]

Hasn't a remake just been announced? Or Carrier Command 2 as it is known now. Saw it in the Metro in Dec 2020 - see it is advertised in Steam for a Spring 2021 release

[gimbal]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1...ier_Command_2/

Publisher: Microprose Software. Another blast from the past.

[dreadnought]

Seems it's one of the games from "revived" MicroProse. It's probably my favourite dev from the retro era, unfortunately their site looks very basic and it might reflect the quality of this operation. Guess we have to wait and see.

[Seiya]

very difficult game but so beautiful graphics in that year.


this is the best modern version of Carrier Command:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/6..._Gaea_Mission/

[manossg]

One of the best Amiga games for me, it has aged extremely well in my opinion.

I have heard that there is a 'cheat' with which you can speed up your travel from island to island (the PC version had this feature without requiring the activation of a cheat mode). Anybody here tried this cheat out?

[gimbal]

I remember seeing that in a youtube series on the game but it was described as a missing feature in the Amiga version that they couldn't finish on time.

[Tigerskunk]

When I read that concept of Carriers battling it out in an Archipelago back in the day (was it 1988?) I felt like this is the future...

It just kind of never clicked with me when actually playing it, though.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by mrv2k

Carrier Command was one of the main reasons I upgraded from a Speccy 128k to an A500. It was also the first Amiga game I bought.

You'd've had a better reason if you'd played it on the C64.

Originally Posted by Steril707

When I read that concept of Carriers battling it out in an Archipelago back in the day (was it 1988?) I felt like this is the future...

Not on the C64, it bloody wasn't. (omg)

[Seiya]

The C64 version is the only one totally different from any other and shame they opted for 2D game.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by Seiya

The C64 version is the only one totally different from any other and shame they opted for 2D game.

They opted for a 2D top-down version with Amaurote as well, when the other versions were highly-detailed isometric 3D, including the Atari 8-Bit!

ChinnyVision covered the C64 version of Carrier Command, and his disbelief at the game is palpable. He said there was no reason why the C64 couldn't do at least vectors, like Mercenary on the C64 did.

No, it was just lazy coding, once again, combined with some strange idea that C64 games sell on their 2D top-down graphics and bloated sprites.

[dreadnought]

C64 was allegedly slower in 3D than other micros. Could be the reason (or one of them).