Carrier Command
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
_________________________

Carrier Command was one of the first real-time strategy games.

You control an advanced cybernetic aircraft carrier complete with fighters, amphibious assault vehicles, laser defenses and a fleet of decoy drones. Your mission is to build a series of resource, factory, and defensive bases spanning an island chain. The only problem? At the other end of the chain is an even more advanced carrier under control of a terrorist organization with the same mission.

As you move around the islands you must decide what facilities to build and where they will best support your advance. Resource islands provide materials that factory islands can use to build weapons and vehicles to replace your combat losses but both will be quickly overrun if the enemy attacks them while you are not present. You also have to ensure that your stockpiles of equipment are stored safely until you can find time to launch a resupply drone to bring them to your carrier.

From your carrier, you can take first person control of your attack aircraft and amphibious tanks and use them to assault enemy islands or even the enemy carrier itself if you're lucky enough to find it. The weapon payloads on your vehicles are completely configurable based on your needs. An island invasion may require launching a virus bomb that will take over the enemy command systems or just blasting the base with a wire guided surface to surface missile.

Ultimately, you have to find and destroy the enemy carrier but, doing so will require a solid supply infrastructure and a strategy for depriving your opponent of his.

Trivia

On the Atari ST disc was a backup-program. You had to wait for the desktop to come on-screen before inserting the disc. The manual specifically commends to make a backup and play from that disc instead of from the original.

Also, the titlemusic would only load if you had a double-sided discdrive in your ST.

The ZX Spectrum version also came with a tape of the theme song. It was called "Just Another Mission" and it was by Dave Lowe, sung by an anonymous female session singer. Rainbird did the same with Starglider 2, although Lowe's song was in that case an instrumental.

The Atari ST and Amiga versions of the game included a short sampled rendition of Lowe's music as the theme tune. The ZX Spectrum had AY chip music, but due to a bug it was not allowed to play all the way through, and so without downloading it the player cannot hear the full piece.

Like the PC release, the Amiga release also came with a cassette tape featuring the theme song.

The PC release of Carrier Command came with a special bonus, a cassette tape with an extended stereo version of the theme song.

---

Description from the packaging:

High-tech Strategy and Action in the 22nd Century.

The accent is on Command.

The carrier is a floating war room. You are Commander-in-Chief.

It's the center of a manufacturing network. You are Director of Strategic Planning.

Soon you will be busy. Very busy.

With a fleet of combat and manufacturing machines on land, sea and air, you flight for military and industrial control of 64 energy-rich islands in the energy-poor future.

You build. The enemy destroys. You return the favor.

Action.

Knock out enemy installations with surface-to-surface missiles.

Bring down enemy planes with your turret-mounted laser cannon.

Maintain your defenses by positioning floating decoy drones.

Deploy up to four fighter-bombers and four amphibious tanks at once. Control each by video-remote control. Or activate the auto-pilot while you take care of other business.

Strategy.

How will you equip your tanks and planes? With weapons? Or for long-range communication?

Should they attack an enemy island now? Or defend an island under attack? Can they even get close enough to matter?

Which enemy island is most vulnerable now?

Should you make the next island you conquer a resource facility? Or a factory? Or a defense center?

How should you connect new islands with the others in your network?

What should the ship's supply systems manufacture? Fuel, planes, tanks, bombs? How many of each? 
If resources get low, what supplies will you sacrifice?

"a mixture of arcade and strategy neatly blended into a fast moving game of quick reflexes, both mental and physical." - Computer and Video Games Magazine.

You determine repair and manufacturing priorities.

Launch 4 planes and 4 tanks simultaneously.

Decide how to arm your planes for each mission.

Amphibious tanks carry laser cannons and virus bombs.

Keep your eye on the big picture with detailed maps.


http://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/carrier-command/trivia
