Command HQ
Encyclopedia
Command HQ is a real-time strategy
world domination game. It was released in 1990 by MicroPlay software
and was created by acclaimed designer Dan Bunten
. It was a co-winner of Computer Gaming World
s 1991 Wargame of the Year award.
and other trailblazers. However, unlike these games it has elements of unit production and resource use that would be later expanded in games like Dune II
and Command and Conquer. Its user interface was also ahead of its time in its use of the mouse to plot movement and the clear presentation of game data. Another innovation was for two players to play against each other with their computers connected over a modem. Players simulate a variety of global wars through time - 1918 (World War I
), 1942 (World War II
), 1986 (World War III
), 2023 (alternative history) and a post-apocalyptic future in which each player starts from a random position with no knowledge of his location or surroundings.
The game is played on a fully revealed map of the world (except in the post-apocalyptic future setting, when the world is concealed by fog of war) with various terrain types. The number of cities determines one's income and therefore what can be built. In some scenarios the number of oil wells controlled affects the movement of a player's units. There are relatively few unit types and their availability differs according to the scenario. Units' movements and orders are plotted in advance. It has a number of facilities for zooming in to see action more clearly. Enemy units are only visible when they are in range of friendly units. This provides ample opportunity for surprise attacks on the unwary. The game is won when all the capital cities of the world has been captured by one side.
Command HQ supports head-to-head play by two players connected remotely via serial (RS-232
) cable, dial up modems, or locally via a null-modem cable. No option exists for broadband Internet users; making it mandatory to tie up the phone lines. A plugin for IPX/SPX
exists. The game is playable over the internet using DOS Box. The player can also install the latest version of the game from SafeHaborGames.net, and play online there. A Facebook page related to command hq also exists.
#169 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game an "X" for "Not recommended".
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
world domination game. It was released in 1990 by MicroPlay software
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
and was created by acclaimed designer Dan Bunten
Danielle Bunten Berry
Danielle Bunten Berry , born Daniel Paul Bunten, and also known as Dan Bunten, was an American game designer and programmer, known for the 1983 game M.U.L.E. , and 1984's The Seven Cities of Gold.-Biography:Bunten was born in St Louis, Missouri, and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas as a...
. It was a co-winner of Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
s 1991 Wargame of the Year award.
Overview
While Command HQ was recognized as one of the earliest real-time strategy games for the PC, it was preceded by the Ancient Art of WarAncient Art of War
The Ancient Art of War is a computer game developed by Evryware and published by Broderbund in 1984. In retrospect, it is generally recognized as one of the first real-time strategy or real-time tactics games.-Overview:...
and other trailblazers. However, unlike these games it has elements of unit production and resource use that would be later expanded in games like Dune II
Dune II
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty is a Dune computer game released in 1992 by Westwood Studios...
and Command and Conquer. Its user interface was also ahead of its time in its use of the mouse to plot movement and the clear presentation of game data. Another innovation was for two players to play against each other with their computers connected over a modem. Players simulate a variety of global wars through time - 1918 (World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
), 1942 (World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), 1986 (World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
), 2023 (alternative history) and a post-apocalyptic future in which each player starts from a random position with no knowledge of his location or surroundings.
The game is played on a fully revealed map of the world (except in the post-apocalyptic future setting, when the world is concealed by fog of war) with various terrain types. The number of cities determines one's income and therefore what can be built. In some scenarios the number of oil wells controlled affects the movement of a player's units. There are relatively few unit types and their availability differs according to the scenario. Units' movements and orders are plotted in advance. It has a number of facilities for zooming in to see action more clearly. Enemy units are only visible when they are in range of friendly units. This provides ample opportunity for surprise attacks on the unwary. The game is won when all the capital cities of the world has been captured by one side.
Command HQ supports head-to-head play by two players connected remotely via serial (RS-232
RS-232
In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
) cable, dial up modems, or locally via a null-modem cable. No option exists for broadband Internet users; making it mandatory to tie up the phone lines. A plugin for IPX/SPX
IPX/SPX
IPX/SPX stands for Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange. IPX and SPX are networking protocols used primarily on networks using the Novell NetWare operating systems.-Protocol Layers:...
exists. The game is playable over the internet using DOS Box. The player can also install the latest version of the game from SafeHaborGames.net, and play online there. A Facebook page related to command hq also exists.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1991 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#169 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game an "X" for "Not recommended".
Open War HQ
Open War HQ is an open source clone of Command HQ under the GNU license. Open War HQ is currently under development, and in the design phase.External links
- Command HQ at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
- Open War HQ - a remake of Command HQ
- Play Command HQ online at Safe Harbor Games