From: David Wessman <DWessman@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: COMP: Perfect General

In a message dated 96-11-01 16:25:56 EST, you write:

<< Could I soliciate commnets on the Game Perfect General?  Does it have
   pbem?  Is anyone pbeming it?

  --
 Peter Belford
 Software Engineer GTE-NMO
 (206)487-8321      Extn:  8321
 pbelford@nmo.gtegsc.com
  >>

This is all from memory, but this was one of my favorite games at the time it
was released (1992?) I played solo and hotseat, but could never figure out
how to make modem play work (I thought the manual was particularly pathetic
in that regard.)

Perfect General was one of QQP's first games (along with The Lost Admiral -
also good). It remains a fun little hex-based, battle game. It seems likely
the designers were inspired by Panzerblitz, it has a similar feel to it, but
more abstract. Quite a few scenarios were provided and there was at least one
scenario disk. The scenarios were often labelled as an historic battle, but
to say it had less simulation value than Axis & Allies would be an
understatement.

Only slightly buggy, AI typically stupid but hot seat and modem-play were
supported. I'm not sure about pbem. Decent VGA graphics and good sound
effects (artillery, in particular.) Manual poorly organized and not indexed.

A number of user preferences supported such as whether a firing unit would
always hit its target and whether a hit was always fatal or some randomly
determined level of damage. Victory determined by holding victory point
hexes. Hidden units, Line of Sight automatically determined, no ZOCs,
Overruns, Opportunity Fire, semi -interactive turn sequence.

Many unit types, but they are generic:
Infantry, Bazooka, Engineers (can place/remove mines, build/blow bridges),
Mines, Obstacles, Armored Car, Light Tank, Medium Tank, Heavy Tank, Light
Artillery, Heavy Artillery, Mobile Artillery, Truck. Vehicles can carry
troops and artillery.

Each game began with the players buying their units and placing them within
certain setup areas. (Reinforcements, if and when they were provided would be
purchased the same way.)

Sequence of play was:
Plot Artillery Fire (Red then Blue)
Execute Last Turn's Artillery Plot (Randomly determined order and done
automatically)
Direct Fire  (Randomly determined order)
Movement (Red then Blue)
Direct Fire (Randomly determined order)
Turn End

Units could only fire in one of the fire phases. Mobile Artillery was one of
the more flexible units as it could plot as artillery and fire in the
immediately following artillery fire phase, or be used for direct fire.
Extensive statistical record keeping and scoring which resulted in rank
promotions.

Can be found as a giveaway on old Interactive Entertainment CD-ROMs or part
of a recent QQP bundle. Spawned a sequel (Perfect General 2) that was really
just more of the same. It added some new units (like aircraft), and had a
Scenario Editor as an expansion.

I always wished they would have tried making it more of a simulation (a la
Steel Panthers.)

David Wessman
DWessman@aol.com